COMIC BOOK MEN’s Ming Chen and fellow marathon runner Nicole Corre kick off their charity run of the San Francisco Marathon with an event at Jamian’s Food and Drink on Thursday, June 26.
Longtime habitues of Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash know Ming Chen as “weekend man” at Kevin Smith’s Lourdes-like grotto of pop pilgrimage — and the burgeoning fanbase of the Smith-produced AMC series know Ming as one of the Comic Book Men who’ve helped put Red Bank on the map of the multiverse for comix culture. But if you haven’t known Chen as a Marathon Man, then an upcoming event on Thursday, June 26 is designed to make the public aware that, when it comes to philanthropy, Chen is in it for the duration.
Hosted at Jamian’s Food and Drink on Monmouth Street, the “Not So Ordinary Fundraiser” party serves as the official kick-off to Ming and Nicole Run San Francisco, an endeavor in which Chen and fellow endurance runner Nicole Corre will take part in the upcoming San Francisco Marathon, scheduled for July 27.
Corre and Chen will compete in support of the Smith-founded nonprofit The Wayne Foundation — named, of course, for the fictional philanthropic enterprise of Batman’s not-so-secret alter ego Bruce Wayne, and dedicated to “fighting human trafficking, child prostitution and child sex exploitation one victim at a time,” and “to end commercial sex exploitation within the United States.”
This will be the second time that Chen and Corre compete together in an endurance event: the two took part in the New Jersey Marathon this past April as a fundraiser for Corre’s charity of choice, the borough-based Boys & Girls Clubs of Monmouth County. The Jamian’s event is designed to “bring a good turnout and get some sponsors,” in advance of the pair’s effort to “run their asses off and raise some money.”
Running from 7 pm to 9 pm, the evening will feature live music by Harper’s Fellow and Hallowed Roots, as well as drink specials, games, fabulous prizes, and a chance to hobnob with the Red Bank glitterati as you help to make Chen and Corre’s trip to Frisco a success all around.
