(Courtesy of OHEL) This year’s OXC Classic, which took place on Sunday, May 27, is a unique, inclusive mud run obstacle course race at the summer camp site of Camp Kaylie in Wurtsboro, New York.

The race this year set new records for participants, with 585 runners completing the challenging and exhilarating course.

Despite periodic light rain on Memorial Day weekend, hundreds of people, ran, swam, crawled and climbed their way through 36 obstacles, including a brand-new American Ninja Warrior-style warp wall, across a 5- or 1½- mile course, all to raise money for OHEL’s children and families.

The OXC Classic is a one-of-a-kind mud run in Camp Kaylie designed specifically to challenge runners of all abilities in line with OHEL Children’s Home and Family Services’ mission of inclusion. This includes two course lengths to appeal to families, children and people with disabilities as well as competitive athletes, and obstacle spotters to help everyone conquer the obstacles, all while everyone is pushed to their limits working together to beat the course.

Said Mendy Schreiber, who ran in the Family Wave, “The OXC Classic was an amazing family day, as we all worked together to complete obstacles and conquer the course, and then enjoy the well-earned barbecue at the end of the day.”

At OHEL, we help thousands of individuals overcome different personal struggles they may face—from abuse to depression, disability to divorce. The OHEL OXC Classic provides the unique opportunity for participants to challenge their own bodies and test their limits, all while helping others—supporting children and adults with disabilities who face greater challenges every day.

This year was also the inaugural OXC Classic Leadership Shabbaton featuring Mor Sapir, an internationally renowned rock climber and inspirational speaker. Over 150 people, high school students and individuals from OHEL Bais Ezra, attended this year, participating in seminars and shiurim and learning about ways to fight stigma in our communities.

Together with hundreds of runners and thousands of donors, OHEL raised over $525,000 dollars from more than 3,000 different donors! OHEL specifically thanks its top individual fundraisers, Rabbi Lewis Wienerkur, Rachelle Rosenberg and Sarah Segall, and top team fundraisers, Team #Avidstrong, Team Garden State Warriors and Team Rosco Mud Runners, who all led the way on the course and fundraising for OHEL! Said Rachelle Rosenberg, an event co-chair and top fundraiser, “The OXC Classic is a day of giving, to OHEL’s children and to ourselves, as we challenge our bodies to overcome obstacles, mud and walls and raise money so OHEL’s individuals can conquer their daily obstacles.”

In addition to the dozens of runners from Bais Ezra and Camp Kaylie throughout the day, the highlight of the day was the Inclusion Wave where runners from three of OHEL’s residence homes led the way through the OXC course, culminating in a final celebration at the finish line. In total, almost 100 runners with disabilities completed the OXC Classic.

OHEL is grateful to 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: 24 CT Fitness, ABC Communications, ABF Mud Run, The Addison Group., Ambulnz, Atlantic PC., Avid Fitness, Brooklyn Family Pages, Clif Bar, Dependable Abstract., Event Medic Services, Five Towns Jewish Times, Great Kosher Restaurants Foodies, Inflated Creations, Izzy’s Brooklyn Smokehouse, Jack Jaffa & Associates, Jakes Playhouse, in memory Susan Jacobson z”l, The Jewish Home, Jewish Link of New Jersey, Modell’s Sporting Goods, ReliaTech Network Solutions, Rosenberg & Steinmetz PC, Stein Farkas & Schwartz LLP, Ted Supply, Toby Schwartz Graphic Design, Top Notch Staffing, TriState, and Capital Bank.

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

Ready to join us next year? Start training now—put it on your bucket list for you and your family! Be a part of the Fifth Annual OXC Classic event next year on May 19, 2019. Pre-register at www.oheloxc.org.

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