ACPB Celebrates 10 Years as Important Los Angeles Marathon Charity Partner

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Angel City Pit Bulls Celebrates 10 Years as Important Los Angeles Marathon Charity Partner

Premier Charity’s Dedicated Team of Runners and Walkers on Pace to Hit $1 Million Raised for Los Angeles’ Most Vulnerable Shelter Animals in Key Milestone Year

Los Angeles, Calif. (March 7, 2023) – Angel City Pit Bulls (ACPB), a Los Angeles Marathon (LA Marathon) premier charity, will cross the finish line at the iconic endurance event for the tenth successive year on March 18 and 19, 2023. Team ACPB aims to raise $150,000 for shelter pets in need via the 2023 LA Marathon’s three race weekend events: the LA Big 5K at Dodger Stadium on Saturday; and the Charity Half Marathon – an option only available to charity runners – and the full 26.2-mile marathon course from Dodger Stadium to Avenue of the Stars in Century City on Sunday. Over 100 runners and walkers will participate in one or more of these events to garner contributions for the entirely volunteer-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2010 to assist Los Angeles City shelters with pit bull-type dogs.

Since ACPB became an official charity partner of the LA Marathon in 2014, Team ACPB has grown from 35 to over 100 fundraising athletes for the past 8 years, and the organization has been a premier charity for the last 5 years; premier charities have larger teams of at least 75 participants in either the full or charity half marathon. The LA Marathon has also become ACPB’s single largest fundraiser each year. Raising an aggregated sum of $860,000 between 2014 and 2022, ACPB is on track to reach $1 million in total funds raised through the LA Marathon when 2023 fundraising closes in April. ACPB, a No-Kill Los Angeles (NKLA) Coalition partner, has also evolved over the last decade, becoming one of Los Angeles’ most trusted rescue partners serving large-breed dogs with medical needs, as well as unweaned kittens.

“By increasing our fundraising capacity and the impact of our lifesaving work, the LA Marathon helped poise us to move our central operations into the Jefferson Park Lifesaving Center in 2018,” explained Katie Larkin, founder and executive director of Angel City Pit Bulls. “Since moving into the Jefferson Park facility, ACPB has transferred in and cared for 2,000 animals, and supported thousands more pets and families through our free training classes, re-homing support, and care resources for members of the community. We’re hopeful that our strong relationship with the LA Marathon and the fundraising power it affords will allow us to provide ongoing vital support to the Los Angeles community for as long as it is needed.”

ACPB is one of just a few LA Marathon charities with a focus on animal welfare, attracting runners and walkers who want to make a difference in the lives of animals. Additionally, unlike many charities affiliated with endurance events, ACPB does not require team members to raise a minimum amount of funds or provide a credit card to guarantee a minimum dollar amount. Rather, Team ACPB suggests a minimum fundraising goal and offers incentives, such as access to its private VIP suite at Dodger Stadium before the full and half marathons, admission to a catered post-race celebration, and Team ACPB apparel unique to each marathon year, to motivate fundraising. Other benefits of joining Team ACPB include: endurance training from certified coaches; organized group training runs; fundraising tools, turnkey materials, and ongoing support; and opportunities to run and socialize throughout the year.

“Our fun, no-pressure fundraising model has served us well over the years and, we believe, is just one reason why we have such a large group of runners who join us for the LA Marathon year after year,” said Tracy Lopez, captain of Team ACPB. “Some people also return each year as part of their athletic pursuits. It’s been exciting to see so many of our team members represent ACPB at such high-profile events as the Boston Marathon, New York Marathon, Chicago Marathon, Berlin Marathon, and various triathlons, including half and full Ironman events.”

Representing a diversity of backgrounds, lived experiences and identities, Team ACPB welcomes runners and walkers of all abilities. The team’s unifying mindset is the shared understanding that, like humans, every dog is an individual with intrinsic value, and every animal’s life and wellbeing are worth protecting.

“I run because every shelter dog deserves its day,” said Tom Iannucci, 64, who will be running his seventh LA Marathon event in support of ACPB on March 19 with his wife Kathryn. “Knowing that my efforts save dogs and make a difference brings me back year after year.”

Through 2022, and in no small part due to the efforts of Team ACPB via the LA Marathon, ACPB has saved 2,800 dogs and kittens. During 2022:

• 216 new dogs joined the ACPB family; many of these dogs came in with major medical issues
• 191 ACPB dogs were adopted into loving homes
• 275 kittens joined ACPB for essential foster care
• ACPB Academy held 52 free classes, serving nearly 400 students
• 134 dogs attended ACPB’s pack walks in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park

The average cost of care for dogs taken in by ACPB is $1,700, or as much as $5,000 per dog for major medical cases. In 2022, the cost of care for dogs alone was $367,200, which was supported by donations, grants, and events like the LA Marathon, making it a crucial part of ACPB’s annual fundraising efforts.

To learn more about Angel City Pit Bulls, joining Team ACPB at a future Los Angeles Marathon, volunteering, fostering, or other ways to become involved, visit www.angelcitypits.org.

# # #

Media Contacts:

Peggy Kennedy

peggy@angelcitypits.org

Jill Hoffman

jill@angelcitypits.org