15-year partnership with Montclair Public Library gets Honorable Mention in “I Partner with My Public Library” awards
MONTCLAIR, NJ (November 13, 2023) — Local family-owned running store Fleet Feet Montclair is among the 26 Honorable Mentions named in the inaugural “I Partner with My Public Library” awards. Created by North Carolina-based non-profit Let’s Move in Libraries, the award celebrates and acknowledges the crucial work of community collaborators to the work of public librarianship across the United States.
The Montclair Public Library Foundation nominated Fleet Feet Montclair for their 15-year partnership with the Library. The nomination states, “Owners Dawn and John Fabbro work diligently to not only inspire and empower this community to live a healthy and active lifestyle, they also strive to give back in service where they can.”
Fleet Feet’s motto is, “No matter the goal, pace or experience level, Fleet Feet supports their customers, training program participants, and community members every step of the way.” One way they have put this motto into practice is through the annual “No Boundaries 5K Training” class offered by Fleet Feet and the Library each spring through the Library’s Adult School Department.
This fun eight-week course culminates with participants running in a local 5K race as a team. It serves as an unintimidating and supportive environment for community members to develop a healthier lifestyle through group exercise and health education. Maurice Boyer, Head of the Adult School Department, says, “This class is easily the most popular recurring class the Adult School offers—with registrations regularly exceeding 80 each year.”
The class builds connections to the Library and provides impactful financial support. Participant fees for the course raise nearly $10,000 each year for the Library. Library Director Janet Torsney says, “Aside from the money raised—for which we are sincerely grateful—Fleet Fleet gives community members a novel way to support their library. Even those not participating in the class can cheer on their friends and family during the 5K while meeting all of the dedicated library staff that work at those events.”
In its 15th year, the partnership is expanding to include the organization Black Man Run with a special program on the effect of incarceration on families and health, a group run, a documentary screening of “Run for His Life,” and a discussion led by Judge Victoria Pratt, renowned expert on restorative justice.
“Joining forces with the Montclair Public Library has always been a no-brainer,” says Dawn Fabbro of Fleet Feet Montclair. “We are simply following the example of a local pathfinder, more than a century ahead of us in creating a way forward with words, ideas and community building. Fleet Feet Montclair is just following along. It’s the simple things, like opening a library book or the act of left foot, right foot, repeat that can not only change a person’s life, but it can bring whole communities together.”
About the Award
Since 2016, the non-profit organization Let’s Move in Libraries has been a national and international voice advocating for strengthened partnerships between public libraries and others that want communities to be healthier places for all. Through this work, it has seen that public libraries can do a lot to promote health, but this health promotion work is almost always made possible by community partners and community collaborators. Recognizing a gap around this topic, in 2023 Let’s Move in Libraries launched the annual I Partner with My Public Library Award to begin the process of creating a platform to celebrate and acknowledge the crucial work of community collaborators to the work of public librarianship. This award is open to all partners, not only those focused on health promotion. Visit letsmovelibraries.org/partner-award for more information.
About the Montclair Public Library
Founded in 1893, the Montclair Public Library serves the residents of Montclair, New Jersey. It has two facilities: the Main Library at 50 S. Fullerton Avenue and the Bellevue Avenue Branch at 185 Bellevue Avenue. The Library has been changing lives every day for over 125 years through words, ideas, and community building by providing unlimited opportunities for lifelong learning, discovery, and community engagement. Visit montclairlibrary.org for more information.