Cream City 5K

What Cream City 5K does

Cream City 5K is a Wisconsin-based 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in October 2015 by Jesse Pagels, a professional trumpet player and double lung transplant recipient who survived pulmonary fibrosis caused by earlier leukemia treatment. The organization operates a single annual run/walk event held each April during Donate Life Month at Greenfield Park in West Allis, Wisconsin, drawing more than 1,100 participants, volunteers, and spectators in recent years. Its core product is the flagship Cream City 5K Run/Walk, supplemented by a non-competitive 3K Walk, Kellan's Fun Run for Kids (0.4K, a memorial named for a child organ donor), and Virtual 5K/3K options that enable remote participation. All proceeds are donated to Versiti Organ and Tissue, the federally designated organ procurement organization for eastern Wisconsin, with cumulative donations exceeding $150,000 since 2016 (including $25K in 2022, $30K in 2023, and $35K in 2024).

The organization monetizes through three primary streams: race registration fees for in-person and virtual events, tiered corporate sponsorships (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze) from healthcare and transplant-aligned companies such as LLG, Global Transplant Solutions, NORA, Evergen Bio, Solvita, Organ Recovery Systems, and Froedtert Health, and direct donations plus merchandise sales processed through the RunSignUp third-party registration platform. Its underlying technology is minimal: the event relies on RunSignUp for ticketing, donation processing, volunteer coordination, and merchandise fulfillment, with a WordPress-based website and social media presence (Facebook, Instagram) serving as the primary owned marketing channels.

Cream City 5K serves three primary constituencies: runners, walkers, and families participating in the annual event; transplant recipients, donor families, and organ donation advocates sharing personal stories to drive registration and donor registry sign-ups; and corporate sponsors seeking community visibility and association with regional health initiatives. Following founder Jesse Pagels' passing on April 29, 2024, the organization has continued to operate and has scheduled its 10th annual event for April 25, 2026. The operation is small (1-10 employees), geographically focused on southeastern Wisconsin, and operates without disclosed funding rounds, institutional investors, or parent entities.

Name

Cream City 5K

Legal name

Cream City 5K

Website

https://creamcity5k.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cream City 5K is a Wisconsin 501c3 nonprofit that operates an annual 5K run/walk at Greenfield Park in West Allis, WI to raise awareness and funds for organ, tissue, and eye donation, channeling all proceeds to Versiti Organ and Tissue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Event Services

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAKAIAA

Road Running Events (Marathons, Half Marathons, 10K/5K)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Endurance & Mass Participation Events (Marathons, Triathlons, Cycling Events)

Keywords

• Charity running events
• Organ donation awareness
• Community fundraising runs
• Nonprofit 5K events
• Transplant community advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Race Registration Fees: Participants pay registration fees to join the 5K run/walk, 3K walk, and Kellan’s Fun Run for Kids. Registration includes a gender-specific technical race t-shirt, race bag, and post-race food and drink.
2. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze levels) provide financial and in-kind support. Sponsors receive logo placement on race shirts, banners, website, social media, and race packets.
3. Donations: Direct donations from supporters and participants, including a donate button on the RunSignUp platform. Additional revenue from merchandise shop sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cream City 5K is a 501c3 nonprofit that organizes an annual community run/walk event in the Milwaukee/West Allis, Wisconsin area to raise awareness and funds for organ, tissue, and eye donation. The event offers multiple race categories (5K run/walk, 3K walk, Kellan's Fun Run for Kids, and virtual options) held each April during Donate Life Month, with proceeds donated to Versiti Organ and Tissue.

Product overview

Cream City 5K is a nonprofit organization that operates primarily as an annual charitable run/walk event focused on raising awareness for organ, tissue, and eye donation in southeastern Wisconsin. The core offering is the Cream City 5K Run/Walk event, supplemented by a 3K Walk option, Kellan’s Fun Run for Kids (0.4K), and Virtual participation options. Additional offerings include event sponsorship packages and a merchandise shop. The organization has donated over $150,000 to Versiti Organ and Tissue and other organ donation organizations throughout Wisconsin since its founding in 2015/2016.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $150,000 donated to support organ, tissue, and eye donation since 2016
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Versiti Organ and TissuecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Primary beneficiary of all Cream City 5K proceeds. Versiti is a federally designated organ procurement organization supporting the transplant community in eastern Wisconsin. Cream City 5K has donated over $150,000 to Versiti since 2016. Funds support donor family services and community outreach to register more organ donors.
• LLG (Platinum Sponsor)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum level sponsor of the 2026 Cream City 5K.
• Global Transplant SolutionsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum level sponsor of the 2026 Cream City 5K. A transplant services company.
• NORAsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerGold level sponsor of the 2026 Cream City 5K.
• Evergen BiosupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerGold level sponsor of the 2026 Cream City 5K.
• SolvitasupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver level sponsor of the 2026 Cream City 5K. Community tissue services organization.
• Organ Recovery SystemssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver level sponsor of the 2026 Cream City 5K.
• Froedtert HealthsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver level sponsor of the 2026 Cream City 5K. Regional healthcare system.
• BioCutsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMilwaukee-based biological processing equipment manufacturer. Sponsor spotlight featured in December 2016.
• Student Organ Donation Advocates (SODA)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerWisconsin high school student organization that fosters organ donation awareness. Cream City 5K supports their outreach efforts and shared their national registry registration link.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/creamcity5k
• Instagraminstagram.com/creamcity5k
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cream-city-5k

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cream City 5K