CAPE ELIZABETH – TD Bank announced Tuesday, Jan. 24 that Valo has been selected as the beneficiary of the 25th running of the TD Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race in Cape Elizabeth.

Based in Yarmouth, Valo’s work guides teens to cultivate emotional wellbeing. Through retreats and school programs, Valo creates a space where teens from a cross-section of communities come together to forge connections.

Valo creates a space where teens from a cross-section of communities come together to forge connections. Courtesy image

“Valo’s unique approach is making a difference in the lives of Maine teens and, in turn, communities across the state,” said TD Bank, Maine Market President Larry Wold, in a Jan. 24 news release. “The organization’s focus on inclusivity and on fostering growth and connection for teens in our communities aligns with TD’s values, and we are delighted to name them this year’s beneficiary of the TD Beach to Beacon 10K.”

Valo will receive $30,000 from TD Bank and further benefit from fundraising activities, including the race’s charity bib program, as well as increased awareness through its association with one of Maine’s premier sporting events. The 2022 Beneficiary, The Cromwell Center, received more than $87,000 from the event.

“We are honored that TD Bank and the TD Beach to Beacon 10K have selected us as their beneficiary for 2023,” said Dana Anderson, executive director of Valo, in an email. “This will be an enormous boost as we expand our programs to reach more Maine teens and continue to impact the emotional wellbeing of youth across the state.”

The pack of runners stretches back up Route 77 at the start of the 24th TD Beach to Beacon 10K road race in Cape Elizabeth. Last year’s event featured 5,346 runners from nine countries, 42 states, and nearly 260 Maine cities and towns. Gregory Rec photo/Press Herald

Valo is a nonprofit organization that cultivates emotional wellbeing in Maine teens. During its weekend retreats, school programs, and workshops, Valo’s guides help teens foster a connection to self and others, empathy and understanding, as well as a sense of belonging and mattering.

The TD Beach to Beacon 10K draws runners from New England and throughout the world to Cape Elizabeth, Maine. The race begins on Route 77 near the Crescent Beach State Park entrance, winds along tree-lined streets and past ocean vistas and ends in Fort Williams Park at Portland Head Light, the most photographed lighthouse in the world.

In 2022, the 24th running of the TD Beach to Beacon 10K included 5,346 runners from nine countries, 42 states, and almost 260 Maine cities and towns.

For more information about the race, visit www.beach2beacon.org, and find the TD Beach to Beacon 10K on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.