The annual Surf-n-Santa five mile race is held on December 17 at 4:30p.m.

The course will run through the Oceanfront holiday lights and end at the convention center.

“Running is a part of my daily life, and I think running for charity would be really good,” said junior Derek Pulizzi. “I run for myself, so running for others would be a good cause.”

Each participant will receive a five piece Santa suit set to run the race in as well as, a unique medal, a finisher’s item, free photos, and more.

The runners will take to the Virginia Beach board walk in an attempt to make this the largest Santa run on the East Coast.

“I saw on a Facebook advertisement where they touted runners for breaking the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest Santa run,” said English teacher Michelle McAfee. “They just need 4,961 Santas to make history.”

The money raised from the race will be donated to two charities, Lynnhaven River Now, and The Noblemen.

According to Great Outdoor Provision Company website, “Lynnhaven River now has been working to clean up our waterways and help us plan for a sustainable healthy future for our city.”

One of the goals of Lynnhaven River Now is to identify and reduce sources of contamination in the river: reduce sediments and chemicals running off of our lawns, parking lots, and roadways and out of our septic systems.

The Noblemen is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization based out of Virginia Beach. Their mission is to perform Noble Deeds for great local kids who are in need of help.

Around this time of year people are going through their own struggles as well as trying to help others.

“I’m running the race because now I can, albeit pretty slowly. Last year I had several health issues that prevented me from being as active as I’m used to, but now I’m back,” said McAfee.