Last week at IMTS 2016, Tim Pirie of CGI Inc. — a manufacturer that designs and builds precision servo gearboxes for ac, dc, step, and servomotors — told me about the Miles for Manufacturing 5K event — and it was the first I’d heard of it.

Miles for Manufacturing is a traveling event that’s been held at meetings around the U.S.

So far it’s raised more than $30,000 to assist middle school, high school and technical college programs promoting manufacturing careers.

Proceeds from the recent IMTS-co-located Miles for Manufacturing run (as cash or equipment) went to schools and STEM organizations, including four area elementary schools; the Chicago Public Library Foundation for its YouMedia teen learning space filled with digital media technology; and Project SYNCERE to expose underserved and underrepresented students to engineering research experiments.

IMTS show organizers covered all of the runs’ staging and promoting costs so all runner and sponsor revenue went directly to the youth STEM programs.

Tim Pirie ran for CGI Inc. in the IMTS Miles for Manufacturing 5K along with the company’s own Brett Long, Senior Manufacturing Engineer at CGI Inc. — who actually came in second overall for the entire event.

If you or your company is attending a manufacturing tradeshow and looking to lend your support a Miles for Manufacturing 5K event, email Bill Herman or call (703) 827-5282. Sponsorships start at $500.