(Courtesy of OHEL) Hundreds of dedicated participants, young and senior, individuals and families, spent Sunday, May 19, jumping, climbing, swimming, running, muscling and crawling their way at OXC, the OHEL Xtreme Challenge Classic, an inclusive mud-run obstacle course at Camp Kaylie in Wurtsboro, New York.

OHEL Children’s Home and Family Services Fifth Annual OXC Classic provides for both a five-mile individual and 1.5-mile family obstacle course. The OXC Classic is a one-of-a-kind mud run designed to challenge runners of all abilities, embracing OHEL’s mission of inclusion. The two course lengths appeal to competitive athletes, families, children and people with disabilities.

A total of 36 competitive and extreme obstacles are designed to test people’s physical and mental limits, while helping support the over 11,000 children and families OHEL serves in overcoming their challenges in life.

The obstacles, including warp walls, sandbag hurdle, tube crawl, tube slides, rope walls, traverse rope, cliff climb, tire flip and the famous mud dumpster, were exhilarating, challenging and just plain fun!

Scott Sulzberger, a partner in PWC, who is a longtime friend of OHEL’s children and families encouraged his colleagues in PWC to participate in OXC as a corporate team-building event. He and his team were among the highest fundraisers of the day. Scott enthusiastically commented, “It was a great way to bring colleagues together and have a great day while supporting such a worthy cause. Our team of 17 had an awesome time.”

OHEL annually helps over 11,000 individuals, from foster children to older adults, overcome different personal struggles, including abuse, depression, disability and trauma. OHEL’s OXC Classic provides the unique opportunity for participants to challenge their own bodies and test their limits, for the purpose of helping others and supporting children and adults who face great challenges every day.

Together with hundreds of runners and thousands of donors, OHEL raised close to $500,000. OHEL specifically thanks its top fundraising teams and individual fundraisers. The top fundraising teams were Jaffa Team Xtreme (gold), Team PWC (silver), and Team iMove & Sweat (bronze).

The gold award for top individual fundraiser went to Scott Sulzberger, the silver award was presented to Rabbi Lewis Wienerkur, and the bronze award went to Ben Englander.

Other awards included top student fundraiser, which was awarded to Leora Konig, and the Celebrity Fundraiser Award, which went to Rachelle Rosenberg and Elliott Steinmetz.

The highlight of the day was the Inclusion Wave, where 75 children, adolescents and adults with disabilities successfully completed the OXC Classic. They were led by OHEL and course staff to experience the thrill of victory in crossing the finish line!

Amid loud and excited cheers and clapping, these runners crossed the finish line and were greeted with hugs, high fives and celebratory tears. And quite appropriately, the DJ’s music greeted them loudly with the song “We Are the Champions.”

OHEL is grateful for its many sponsors without whom there would be no OXC Classic, including obstacle course sponsor Jack Jaffa, who successfully completed the race as part of Team Jaffa Xtreme.

Other sponsors included ABC Communications, ABF Mud Run, Airmark, Atlantic PC, Centurion Pain Management, Clif Bar, Investors Bank, Jack Jaffa & Associates, Jake’s Playhouse in memory of Susan Jacobson, z”l, Orlo, PWC, Rosco Vision Systems, RSPC, Rosenberg & Steinmetz PC, Stein Farkas & Schwartz LLP, The Addison Group Inc., The Eberight Law Group, Toby Schwartz Graphic Design and TM.

OHEL was pleased to partner with trainers from Avid Fitness, Club Raw Fit, IFit, Move U Fitness, Training Ground and Woodmere Fitness Club to provide training to participants.

OHEL thanks its co-chairs Ben Englander, Aryeh Jacobson, Yehuda Konig, Rachelle Rosenberg and Jeffrey Schwartz and for their hard work and vision in making the OXC Classic a success.

Individuals interested in the many programs and services that OHEL provides should contact OHEL at 800-603-OHEL (6435) or visit www.ohelfamily.org.