Christie's 5k went off well on TV, but did anyone else notice there seemed to be few non-SO people involved in the race? And I'm gonna take a wild guess and think that those I didn't recognize where somehow related to the show, aka Bunim/Murray Productions.

I couldn't find any pre- or post-race notice of it in any local LA newspaper, so I'm guessing that they really didn't want any "outside" people involved.

This was purely a promotional thing for SO, a reason to get some of the past house guests together for TV.

And it thrills me that I can post this on this site, because I'm sure it would be deleted immediately over at the "official" SO site. (Heck, I got "locked" for using the word "finale" in my post, when I never suggested it was the series finale. I meant the season finale.)

• RE: Road race blues,shawnar, 03:10 PM, 05-25-06
  • RE: Road race blues,alaholly, 03:48 PM, 05-25-06
    • RE: Road race blues,maryellennaco, 05:29 PM, 05-25-06
• RE: Road race blues,wallyhoohoo, 11:02 PM, 05-25-06
  • RE: Road race blues,Seabisquit, 11:09 PM, 05-25-06
    • RE: Road race blues,beckettrep, 06:12 PM, 05-29-06
• RE: Road race blues,Labyrinth, 11:32 PM, 05-25-06
  • RE: Road race blues,petmama, 04:16 PM, 05-26-06
• RE: Road race blues,26mitogo, 09:57 AM, 05-26-06
  • RE: Road race blues,soccergrl, 08:34 AM, 05-30-06
• RE: Road race blues,Shania, 04:42 PM, 05-26-06
  • RE: Road race blues,Anne18, 01:54 AM, 05-27-06
  • RE: Road race blues,cynicalgirl, 01:16 AM, 05-28-06
    • RE: Road race blues,Anne18, 01:28 AM, 05-28-06
• RE: Road race blues,JustBNMe, 02:27 PM, 05-30-06
  • RE: Road race blues,loretta54, 03:08 PM, 05-30-06

I noticed that too. I think the ones we didn't recognize was their friends family, trainers, and SO staff. They probably didn't put it in the paper but even if they did it would of been before Christmas.

I thought the idea (in theory) was to raise money. If they had invited or advertised for more people from the public they would have raised a lot more money for the charity. I did a run for charity a few years ago and got a couple hundred participants without even trying. Their run was in LA where there are tons of runners. One ad in the paper and they would have had lots of people. But they only wanted 50 people (remember the medal order for 50?) Bottom line, it was all about the SO Reunion and Finale Show. Rhonda's swan song. It was about ratings, not about fundraising.

You are so right!! Again the "theory" ran headlong into what this race REALLY was.... A reunion for the SO HG's... As if we hadn't seen ENOUGH of them already?? Especially those knuckleheads, Allisham, BobbleheadCassie,et al.. And they DID only order 50 medals.... SO LONG, Starting Over!!

To use the term someone else coined, "Life has never been this unreal"

what i noticed was the fact there was practically NO participation from outside. how much did she earn? seems everyone is doing 5ks for all diff causes. but from what i saw, it wasnt a success if nobody came

they earned over 4 grand...how? I have no clue. Probably from sponsors.

>they earned over 4 grand...how?
>I have no clue.
>Probably from sponsors.

I tend to agree most of the money must have come from the sponsors - if it didn't then it was awfully cheap of the sponsors not to offer to at least match what was earned.

There was an announcement about the upcoming event posted on Rhonda's blog via her website (see link in the link threads in this forum). I don't know that the information was widely circulated though and I don't remember reading about the race via the blog in real time though it may have been up there.

I think this was probably a closed set. Much more able to be controlled in terms of photo shoot, liability, and in making sure the 'right' HG's caught their last 10 seconds of camera time.

Someone, on another MB, posted a link containing an invitation for any woman who would be in the LA area on, I think it was sometime in January, to participate in a 5K in support of Christie. But, I don't think it was well enough publicized to draw much of a crowd. I think half the participants were past and present SOHG's. Apparently, Rhonda wasn't expecting much of a response. Or, she would've ordered more than 50 medals.

My #1 question regarding this race "fundraiser": Who paid the bill for all the out of town past HG's flights to LA, hotel stay, food, transportation etc? Did all these people really foot their own bills or did SO spend a boat-load of $$$ to get everyone together for this last swan song? If SO funded this parade of grads, many of which we'd grown sick of long ago, can you imagine how much the charity could have benefited if it would have actually been an advertised fundraising event? If even a portion of the $$ SO spent on a "reunion" (if they funded the x-HGs trips) was given to the charity AND others in the LA area were invited to participate & donate, the charity could have funded help for possibly hundreds more women while still recieving the benefit of advertising their charity on the show.

The charity got their name out there and recieved a check for $4000 from the donations of individuals & businesses, &/or entry fees ... which is great in itself. However, if Rhonda was more concerned that women in need get as much help as possible vs. self-promotion, she could have accomplished this plus more promotion for the charity and much more money to donate. I for one would have been more impressed & less cynical if SO personally donated a large check to the charity and left the former HGs home. But, as has been said, it could not have been a "closed set" for filming purposes, as well as a huge promotion on Rhonda's part, parading her "success stories" across the screne to show just how powerful she is in changing lives.

The answer to my original question would pretty much determine in my mind whether this was something done to honestly give to & promote a charity ... or a marketing ploy for Rhonda & her adventures.

If SO paid for all these x-HGs to come play in the 5k run, what do you think that bill might have come to? How many out of towners would have been flown in, picked up and driven in limos, given several nights and plenty of food in a nice (and usually expensive) LA-area hotel, and other such benefits?

Anyone remember all the previous HGs that were there & where they were from? I have most of the list of HGs but only remember where some are from ... but may have some errors. Anyone have added info, missing attendees & home towns? What would the bill for these grads possibly come to???? Any guesses?

Andy - New York
Allison - N.Carolina
Lisa1 - Miami
Cassie2 - Alabama (?)
Cassie1 - Chicago
Kim -
Megg - Phoenix
TJ - Colorado
Lisa2 -
Candy -
Renee - Arizona - Phoenix?
Audrey -
Nyanza - Houston
Maureen - Chicago?

LA area participants (not current HGs):
Kelly
Hailey & Lynnelle
Jill
Jessica

Kim 2 - Austin
Lisa 2 - Colorado

It was supposed to be an assignment for Christie, But what did she do? Everything was arranged by someone else.

>It was supposed to be an
>assignment for Christie, But what
>did she do? Everything was
>arranged by someone else.

As usual...

We never did see Christie (or anyone else) doing any promotion for this race! We only saw Rhonda pushing Christie to do the details, not the promotion.

The whole 5K was a sham, a setup, from the getgo.

Yet another reason SO has lost my support, as have all of the life coaches.

I quickly paused my tape of SO and noticed that Christie had a paper saying "Rhonda Britten Fearless Living"...etc etc. and Andy Paige "Cents of Style" and mentions Andy's business and who she is. I think that was her sheet of sponsors. Just those two I was able to see on the page. For it to be visible, she must have typed it in big size fonts. LOL!!

I know several of the people there were Rhonda groupies. They posted about going on her website. There are a few women who follow Rhonda anywhere she goes and do it at any expense and they brag about it. I too was surprised at how few former Hg there really were. It was nice to see those that were there though.

I said the same thing to my daughter about non-SO folks being there, and was wondering why. Thanks for the fill in