Pete Rettler, Dean of Moraine Park’s West Bend Campus, made a decision in 1993 to focus on his health. On New Year’s Eve, he made a bet with a friend to run every day for an entire year. Needless to say, he surpassed that goal and hasn’t missed a single day of running for 28 years. He averages 2.5 miles each run.

A few years back, he started using this daily running streak to generate community involvement and giving by hosting a New Year’s Eve 5k run event. The money raised was donated a local non-profit.

At year 25, Pete held a 25 day event, selecting a different non-profit each day- and gathering over $25,000 in donations. 

This year, his donations will be given to the Wisconsin Remembers 9-11 Memorial in Kewaskum to assist their efforts to bring awareness, and honor and remember local victims.  https://www.wisconsin911memorial.com/about.html

You can register for the run at: Rettlerrun.com.

Here’s a message from Pete:

“Another year has passed by and I am very grateful that my streak is still alive. This year the Streak Run will once again be held at the Kewaskum Annex located right next to the Memorial. The date is December 31^st the event starts at noon. This year we will return back to normal but you still don’t have to be present to win any of the 28 door prizes. We will be LiveStreaming the door prize drawings. The door prizes this year are phenomenal, 28 hand selected Bourbons worth over $2200. Each run entry equals an entry into the door prize drawing. Enter as many times as you wish. This year we will have subs provided by Cousins Subs and also coffee cider and hot chocolate from Dunn Brothers. We are very fortunate that Fr. Pat Heppe has recovered from the horrible Waukesha parade tragedy and will once again join us to do a New Year’s blessing. Following the blessing will be a very non-competitive, fun 5k that you can walk, run, walk your dog, skip, or just skip the entire run. After the race we will give away the 28 door prizes plus a 200 piece Craftsman tool set.”

MPTC’s Dean of the West Bend Campus, Pete Rettler, began running daily after making a bet with a friend on New Year’s Eve in 1993. The bet was to run every day for that year. 27 years later, he hasn’t missed a single day – and averages about 2.5 miles each run. 

A few years back, he started using this daily running streak to generate community involvement and giving by hosting a New Year’s Eve 5k run event. The money raised was donated a local non-profit.

At year 25, Pete held a 25 day event, selecting a different non-profit each day- and gathering over $25,000 in donations. 

This year, he has had to do things differently- as we all have- and is hosting a virtual 5k- where participants will select their own route. While this doesn’t have the togetherness of his typical events, this does open up the opportunity for participation anywhere.

This year, his donations will be given to the Wisconsin Remembers 9-11 Memorial in Kewaskum to assist their efforts to bring awareness, and honor and remember local victims.  https://www.wisconsin911memorial.com/about.html

As an added heartfelt, Pete’s children (now adults) have never known a day that their Dad didn’t run. When they were little Pete would push them in the stroller on his daily runs. This year, Pete will be carrying on that tradition while pushing his granddaughter Reagan in the stroller on his run. 

Through it all, Pete remains a humble- community centered man- grateful for his health and the ability to utilize what was once a silly bet- as a way to bring good to his community.  

Do you want to run “with” Pete on New Years Eve? Registration is $27 and there will also be 27 prizes. Information can be found at rettlerrun.com.

*Photo courtesy of Washington County Insider-2018.

Congratulations to Pete Rettler, Dean of Moraine Park’s West Bend campus, who was the recipient of the prestigious 2019 Betty Pearson Community Leadership award at the Leadership West Bend Annual Honor Luncheon.

The Betty A. Pearson Community Leadership Award is an award presented annually to an alumnus of the Leadership West Bend program. The Leadership Alumni Association is pleased to offer this award, named in honor of the program’s founder Betty A. Pearson, former Executive Director of the West Bend Area Chamber of Commerce.  Betty served the community of West Bend in various capacities and touched the lives of many through her 15 years of service with the Chamber. The award recognizes graduates of the Leadership program who have demonstrated community service and leadership in the West Bend area.

To be eligible for the Betty A. Pearson Community Leadership Award, the individual must be an Alumnus of the Leadership West Bend program. Nominees should have demonstrated service to the West Bend community through a variety of avenues including participation on various boards or committees within the past several years. Nominees should also have demonstrated previous and continued community involvement as well as proven commitment to promoting leadership development within the community.

Pete is known around Moraine Park and West Bend for his generous contributions. One of his most recent community collaborations was his 25 Runs of Gratitude. You can read more about that here.

If you see him around be sure to congratulate him, the award is very well deserved!

Photo from Washington County Insider

If you’re looking for a great way to help out families in need over the holidays, please consider joining forces with United Way of Washington County and WB Campus Dean Pete Rettler, for the “25 Runs of Gratitude.”

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Like many others at the onset of a new year, Pete Rettler looked in the mirror in late 1993 vowing to make a healthy change.

He was hoping to lose weight, and he and a friend ultimately made a bet: They both vowed to go for a run outdoors every single day of the 1994. No matter what.

And they did. Day after day. Rain. Sunshine. Snow. Anything. Everything.

Though both men completed this healthy New Year’s challenge, it turns out that stretch of 365 days was only the beginning for Pete.

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