A veteran marathoner and triathlete, Jenna Wright Greenman has been the driving force behind the Escape to Belle Isle event, teaming with her husband, Milt Greenman, to help raise funds for the Ronald McDonald House of Detroit. Valerie Newman, of the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, also has been “heavily involved” in organizing the event, according to Wright Greenman, calling her the “ultimate team player who would give you the shirt off her back.”
‘Escape to Belle Isle’ event to aid Detroit’s Ronald McDonald House
By Tom Kirvan
Legal News
There will be a decidedly legal flavor to the 17th annual Escape to Belle Isle event this Saturday, July 19 at the aforementioned state park in the Detroit River.
The event – which features four runs ranging in distance from 400 yards to 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) – was founded in 2009 by two attorneys, Jenna Wright Greenman and Milt Greenman, a wife-and-husband team with a single-minded purpose of providing funding support for Ronald McDonald House of Detroit.
Wright Greenman has a history of involvement with the nonprofit organization, which provides convenient lodging for families of children undergoing medical treatment in Metro Detroit. For six years, Wright Greenman served as president of its board of directors, helping spearhead fund-raising efforts while also heightening awareness in the Detroit community of the Ronald McDonald House.
“We started this event all on our own 17 years ago, and have kept it going,” said Wright Greenman, a medical malpractice defense attorney for the Kitch law firm in Detroit.
“Kitch, my firm, and my husband’s firm, Sam Bernstein Law, are both involved in sponsoring and with volunteers and racers. So, it is definitely a legal community news event.”
In an era marked by polarization, it is particularly noteworthy that the Escape to Belle Isle event has played a unifying role since its inception, bringing together attorneys from both sides of the plaintiff-defense divide, such as in the Greenman household.
“My husband and I are on opposite sides of the legal fence, but we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader,” Wright Greenman proclaimed. “People see us as the James Carville-Mary Matalin of med-mal, but it works.”
The couple, who fittingly met at the Wayne County Courthouse, have been married for 17 years, and renew their wedding vows each anniversary, dispelling any notion that legal opposites don’t attract.
This Saturday, upward of 500 participants are expected to head to Belle Isle for a smorgasbord of runs that includes 2-mile, 5-km, and 10-km races in addition to a 400-yard fun run for kids ages 2-12. The 2-mile, 5-km, and 10-km races all begin at 8:30 a.m., while the fun run for kids begins at approximately 10 a.m. Registration information can be obtained by visiting www.escapetobelleislerace.com. Race-day registration, at no extra charge, also will be available.
“From the beginning of the event back in 2009, we have strived to make it accessible, making it stroller and pet friendly,” Wright Greenman emphasized.
“Every dollar raised helps Ronald McDonald House Charities Detroit provide a comfortable place for families to stay close to their children and their medical teams,” Wright Greenman said of the July 19 fund-raising event that will help relieve “financial and geographical burdens for the families of children receiving care” in Metro Detroit.
“For a sick child, there’s nothing better than the comfort of having mom and dad at their side,” Wright Greenman added. “It’s great to help a place where you can see the results in real time.”
Legal News
There will be a decidedly legal flavor to the 17th annual Escape to Belle Isle event this Saturday, July 19 at the aforementioned state park in the Detroit River.
The event – which features four runs ranging in distance from 400 yards to 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) – was founded in 2009 by two attorneys, Jenna Wright Greenman and Milt Greenman, a wife-and-husband team with a single-minded purpose of providing funding support for Ronald McDonald House of Detroit.
Wright Greenman has a history of involvement with the nonprofit organization, which provides convenient lodging for families of children undergoing medical treatment in Metro Detroit. For six years, Wright Greenman served as president of its board of directors, helping spearhead fund-raising efforts while also heightening awareness in the Detroit community of the Ronald McDonald House.
“We started this event all on our own 17 years ago, and have kept it going,” said Wright Greenman, a medical malpractice defense attorney for the Kitch law firm in Detroit.
“Kitch, my firm, and my husband’s firm, Sam Bernstein Law, are both involved in sponsoring and with volunteers and racers. So, it is definitely a legal community news event.”
In an era marked by polarization, it is particularly noteworthy that the Escape to Belle Isle event has played a unifying role since its inception, bringing together attorneys from both sides of the plaintiff-defense divide, such as in the Greenman household.
“My husband and I are on opposite sides of the legal fence, but we’re each other’s biggest cheerleader,” Wright Greenman proclaimed. “People see us as the James Carville-Mary Matalin of med-mal, but it works.”
The couple, who fittingly met at the Wayne County Courthouse, have been married for 17 years, and renew their wedding vows each anniversary, dispelling any notion that legal opposites don’t attract.
This Saturday, upward of 500 participants are expected to head to Belle Isle for a smorgasbord of runs that includes 2-mile, 5-km, and 10-km races in addition to a 400-yard fun run for kids ages 2-12. The 2-mile, 5-km, and 10-km races all begin at 8:30 a.m., while the fun run for kids begins at approximately 10 a.m. Registration information can be obtained by visiting www.escapetobelleislerace.com. Race-day registration, at no extra charge, also will be available.
“From the beginning of the event back in 2009, we have strived to make it accessible, making it stroller and pet friendly,” Wright Greenman emphasized.
“Every dollar raised helps Ronald McDonald House Charities Detroit provide a comfortable place for families to stay close to their children and their medical teams,” Wright Greenman said of the July 19 fund-raising event that will help relieve “financial and geographical burdens for the families of children receiving care” in Metro Detroit.
“For a sick child, there’s nothing better than the comfort of having mom and dad at their side,” Wright Greenman added. “It’s great to help a place where you can see the results in real time.”
Photo by James Rivard
A lion look-alike made a special appearance at last year’s Escape to Belle Isle event, posing for photos with race participants.
A lion look-alike made a special appearance at last year’s Escape to Belle Isle event, posing for photos with race participants.
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