Brothers Benji and Drew Dillon. Photo: K.C. Danzansky Photography.
Local high school student puts together a race to help others in the community.
Seventeen-year-old Drew Dillon is entering his senior year at Blake High School, and on top of school and sports, he’s still finding time to pursue philanthropic endeavors. His most recent project, which he’s organizing with his 15-year-old brother Benji, is the Edina Dash. This race will kick off the Edina 4th of July Parade and will end with someone crowned as Edina’s fastest man, woman or kid.
The 0.75-mile dash starts at City Hall and ends at Lunds & Byerlys. The winner, who will be known as Edina’s fastest, also wins some customized gear to show off their accomplishment. Proceeds from this event go to Edina Give and Go as well as the Edina Community Foundation.
We sat down with Drew to learn more about the dash.
Edina Magazine: Why did you choose these charities to donate to?
Drew Dillon (DD): I chose Edina Give and Go as my charity because I have done a lot of volunteering work with [it] in the past, and I really enjoy helping kids who may not be as privileged as me play sports because I know how important sports have been in my life. We also chose to help Edina Community Foundation because [it does] a lot of the same with supporting kids in the community and also hosts the parade so it seemed like an easy choice.
What inspired you to organize the Edina Dash?
DD: Like I said before, I’m very privileged to have all that I do, so helping others seems like the least my brother and I can do. That being said, we were brainstorming ways to make a lot of money to help others, and we thought that the parade was the one time when all of Edina seemed to come together, which sparked the idea of the race to kick off the parade.
What has been the biggest challenge while putting the event together?
DD: The biggest challenge has been getting volunteers and spreading the word since the event is so new. We would love for more people to sign up because not many people know about it. I just want people to know that even if they don’t feel like running, they can still donate in the registration tab of Edina Dash on the Edina 4th of July parade website.
How do you want to see this event grow in the future?
DD: In the future, I hope that this event will become a tradition in Edina where there are 500 or more people all sauntering down 50th Street together. With that comes more money for people in need, so that would be awesome.
Do you have any other charitable endeavors you wish to pursue?
DD: I also do a pre-tryout practice/free training with a couple buddies of mine for Edina baseball where we run kids through drills to help them prepare for the travel tryouts. It’s totally free, but we also ask that if people can, it would be awesome if they also “paid” by donating to Edina Give and Go. We raised $1,500 last year through this event and hope to expand this year.
All ages. $20 entry fee. 9:30 a.m. start time (approximate). Edina City Hall, 4801 W 50th St; edinaparade.org
Edina Dash
Instagram: @edinadash
