Registration Outpacing 1994 Figures

This year’s Bloomsday registration is running ahead of last year’s numbers.

As of Friday, 18,490 people have registered for the race, said Karen Heaps, Bloomsday coordinator.

That’s 3,000 more than had signed up on the Friday before the registration deadline in 1994. More than 55,000 people completed the race last year.

Heaps received another four boxes of entries in the mail Monday.

“This is a real hectic week,” she said. “We usually get most of the people getting their stuff in now. The mail is getting heavier and heavier.”

Entries must be postmarked by Wednesday to meet the early registration deadline. The early registration fee is $8. Late entries cost $20.

Registration forms can be picked up at area Safeway stores, McDonald’s, U.S. Bank branches and Snyder’s bakeries.

Wednesday also is official Bloomsday T-shirt day. Anyone who has run (or walked) in Bloomsday in the past is encouraged to wear his or her favorite T-shirt or volunteer T-shirt.

The race is scheduled for May 7. As many as 60,000 people are expected to run.

Volunteers, anyone

Calling all computer geeks - and computers.

Medical Service Corp., the Bloomsday sponsor that has handled the computerized results and race registration since 1983, will not provide the service next year.

The company is a big reason Bloomsday is the largest timed race in the country.

“We have to find other avenues,” Heaps said. “Luckily, we have a big enough office. We’ll have to get some computers.”

MSC is getting a new computer system this summer and must devote computer space to its managed care system instead of to Bloomsday results, said Cher Desautel, vice president of corporate communications at MSC.

The company will help Bloomsday in the transition to a new system, Desautel said.

“They’re going to by no means be put out in the cold or anything,” she said.

MSC will remain a major sponsor of the race.

Suzanne Beringer, a senior programmer analyst at MSC, said she probably would volunteer her time to help Bloomsday. She has worked on the results every year for the past seven years.”It’s up to Bloomsday,” Beringer said.

Bloomsday officials are viewing the change positively.

“We’ll learn more about computers around here,” Heaps said.

Watch your language

It’s not just a race. It’s also a registered trademark.

Companies that use the word “Bloomsday” in advertisements and promotions can do so only with the permission of the Lilac Bloomsday Association.

“We’ve got to be cautious on how they use that word - ‘Bloomsday,’ ‘Bloomie,’ ‘Bloomer,”’ Heaps said. “We’ve got to be real careful.”

The association sent letters to companies telling them that only Bloomsday sponsors may use the word “Bloomsday” or the logo for promotional purposes.

Bloomsday sends the letter every year.