More than 2,000 runners, riders and spectators got “down and dirty” at JCB’s third annual Mud Run and first-ever Dig the Ride cycling event at the company’s North American Headquarters in Savannah, Ga. Proceeds from both races benefit The Lady Bamford Center for Early Childhood Development.

In a check presentation ceremony July 22, Thom Peebles, vice president of marketing at JCB, presented a check for $100,500 to Tammy Mixon, the executive director of Wesley Center, which operates The Lady Bamford Center. Also on hand to participate in the ceremony were: Steve Vernon, vice president of finance of JCB; Debi Mulanax, chief financial officer of the Lady Bamford Center advisory board; and David Paddison, Lady Bamford Center board member and board chair of The Mud Run/Dig the Ride.

This year’s donation, made possible by race participants and JCB’s generous sponsors, will go a long way towards continuing to support The Lady Bamford Center and its educational mission.

“Months ago, as we began planning for this year’s Mud Run, we knew we wanted it to be the biggest and best one yet,” said Thom Peebles, vice president of marketing of JCB North America. “Along the way, we came up with the idea of adding a cycling event, and that’s how Dig the Ride was born. Our staff made sure that both race courses featured twists and turns that made them fun and challenging for both runners and cyclists. However, most importantly, we were able to exceed previous years’ goals by raising more than $100,000 for The Lady Bamford Center. We sincerely thank our participants, volunteers, generous sponsors and spectators who made it all possible.”

2014 Mud Run

JCB’s Mud Run consisted of teams of two making their way through a sloppy, messy 5-mi. course spread across JCB’s sprawling 1,000-acre campus. Runners splashed through a lake and traveled down numerous trails featuring obstacles that tested both their endurance and their ability to get dirty.

2014 Dig the Ride

For the first time in 2014, JCB added to the Mud Run fun by adding an all-terrain cycling event, Dig the Ride. Cyclists rode a 5-mi. XC Course complete with limbs, drops, bridges, berms, speed-oriented passing stretches and light obstacles.

The race featured three levels of competition for riders aged 17 and up, with novice riders taking one lap of the course (5 mi.), intermediate riders tackled the course twice (10 mi.) and advanced riders pedaled around the course three times (15 mi.). Racers aged 13 to 17 years old made up the youth category, taking one lap of the course with optional bail-outs.

The Lady Bamford Center

Operated by Wesley Community Centers of Savannah, the Lady Bamford Center provides education and social skills development to children from six weeks to five years of age. Located at 1410 Richard St. in west Savannah, the center offers priority admission to children from homeless and low-income families, as well as children with physical, mental or emotional challenges. Its interactive curriculum prepares young children for kindergarten and elementary school and helps them compete with other children academically.

The Lady Bamford Center is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Fewer than eight percent of all early childhood centers in the United States receive this prestigious honor.

For more information, visit jcbmudrun.com, www.digtheride.com or www.wesleyctrs-savh.org/.

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