The Select Staffing Santa Barbara International Marathon & Half Marathon has donated $5,000 to the Community Environmental Council of Santa Barbara.

For every marathon entrant, $1 was earmarked for the CEC.

The Nov. 12 race drew nearly 5,000 entrants, a record number. The third year of the race has made it the largest athletic event in Santa Barbara, and it has more than doubled in size year after year.

The CEC’s mission is to identify, advocate and raise awareness about the most pressing environmental issues that affect the Santa Barbara region.

“Our partnership with CEC was a great match for SBIM,” race director Rusty Snow said. “We need to be thoughtful and protect that place we live and run. One reason people come to run the marathon is to experience the beauty of the region. We want to protect that for years to come, for our runners and for our community.”

Kathi King, donor relations manager for the CEC, added, “We were thrilled to partner with the marathon this year. We strengthened relationships with partnering groups who helped us by volunteering and direct interaction with the community allowed us to continue to build awareness for our movement to transition our region away from fossil fuels in one generation.”

— Tami Snow represents the Select Staffing Santa Barbara International Marathon & Half Marathon.