Adventure Race Company's Inaugural Event is April 27

Valerie Ellis and April Stanley have been friends since they were 4. One has a higher education background, the other market research.

On April 27, they plan to showcase their business partnership by hosting "Urban Chicken Race" at Fountain Square on Davis Islands. The adventure race - which is the namesake of the company they co-own - will benefit two charities: The Spring of Tampa Bay, the philanthropic organization for Alpha Chi Omega at University of Tampa, and Franciscan Mission Service.

Teams can be anywhere from 2-8 members, and the entry fee is $50 per person.

We recently talked to Ellis about how the idea for the adventure race company came about and what attendees can expect.

Patch:  How did the idea come about for an adventure race company?

Ellis: April Stanley and I have been talking about this for the past several years. We have done several scavenger hunt races orselves. We thought it would be fun to put something on like this. We have our own ideas of how we can enhance and offer additional quality.

Patch: How did you come up with the name?

Ellis: We have been friends since we were 4 years old. I am not 100 percent sure how the inside joke started, but for quite some time, we've had some inside joke related to chickens. Everyone loves chickens, and it's fun.

Patch: What sets your event apart from others?

Ellis:  What's different about Urban Chicken Race is we have different themes with each race. The first is the island edition on Davis Islands. Some of the race swag that participants get will be island themed. Everyone will have a lei as part of the race swag. We are planning on having other races.

An adventure race is completely different. The way it’s different is that it opens up to the greater population. It's not only for runners. It's for people looking to have a good time and not just sit on the couch on the weekend watching TV.

Patch: How did you chose the charities that are involved?

Ellis:  We decided we will have one local and one international. Off the top, we wanted to have something as far as the local charity where people can do something tangible. The Spring of Tampa Bay, one of the 42 domestic violence shelters in Florida, they have a wish list of extensive items. Theres 102 beds at the facility. There's a lot of needs for them to have items for the wish list.

For more information, go to: https://www.facebook.com/UrbanChickenRace or www.urbanchickenrace.com. Send emails to info@urbanchickenrace.com.