Phoenix couple who organizes races wins Pay It Forward Award

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - We decided to Pay It Forward at Scottsdale’s Arizona Falls to Shaun and Deborah Chambers, who support many nonprofits in the Valley. “Shawn and Deb are wonderful people. They are very community oriented. They support veterans, and even children’s groups and so it would be great to honor them for what they do in the community. They do for everyone and spending time together while having fun,” said Erin Cornelius.

They run a race company called Run Your Race AZ that started eight years ago. It takes a lot to assemble these races, organize medals and t-shirts, get permits, and so much more. But, no matter how big or small the race is, they do their best to keep costs low. Because of their hard work, Cornelius wanted to Pay It Forward to them.

We walked up to Shawn and Deborah and said, “You guys know Erin?” “Yes we know her very well. She is one of our best volunteers,” they said. “I really appreciate all you do for those of us who run, and all the things you do for our community and giving back. This is a little surprise for you guys. You’re the winner of our Pay It Forward Award. It’s for you guys, so do something nice,” said Cornelius.

It also takes an army of volunteers to help out, especially on race day. With their hard work, the Chamberses have donated thousands of dollars to many nonprofits. Shawn Chambers has loved every minute of it. “We’ve been doing this as a family since 2015. We have done over 150 races and made over $100,000 for charities. Since COVID hit, the numbers are cut in half, but it’s time to start running again. Be active in the community, we just love what we do here,” he said.

If you know someone like Shawn and Deborah, you can nominate them for our Pay It Forward award. Just log on to our website and fill out a form on our community page.

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