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Organizers say Lake Helen's Christmas 5K drew 955 runners; Run for a Cause proposes 2026 services
Summary
Race director Kelly Prasca and vendor Run for a Cause reported 955 participants in the 2025 Lake Helen race, $28,369.25 in registration revenue, and presented a 2026 services proposal; vendor representatives recommended continuing with the same vendor to handle timing, registration and logistics.
Kelly Prasca, the city's long-time race coordinator, and Chris Battista of Run for a Cause presented the 2025 race accounting and a proposal for 2026 race services. Prasca said the 2025 event had 955 participants and that registration revenue totaled $28,369.25; additional sales and donations brought in other receipts and the gross for 2025 was reported at about $34,519.25 with an invoice line of $20,554.50.
"We had 955 participants, and that is amazing," Prasca said, noting eight years of growth from 461 participants to nearly 1,000. Battista said the event draws runners from many cities and states and that DeLand contributed 170 participants and Deltona and Lake Helen each had 119 participants in the most recent edition. Battista suggested stronger sponsorship outreach could increase revenue significantly and said a race with more than 1,000 participants could raise substantially more through sponsorships.
Prasca and Battista recommended continued use of Run for a Cause for timing, registration and merchandise because the vendor provides an all-in-one service. Prasca also noted some historical record gaps (missing sponsorship data for 2019) and explained that the vendor's services have allowed the city to reduce some operational roles previously handled by public-works staff.
The commissioners did not record a final decision in the transcript; staff and the vendor agreed to supply invoice and proposal details for administrative follow-up.
