The Annual Disaster Dash serves as the most visible promotional and fundraising event of the organization. Bill Anderson was always an active person. After retiring from the National Academies in 2011 at age 74, Bill knew he wanted to start regularly doing something physical that allowed him to concentrate. He soon found that long walks, which had previously been part of his weekend routine, were an ideal way to combine daily exercise and deep thinking. Bill continued to walk every day until his passing in 2013.

Upon learning about Bill’s routine from Norma, the BAF Founding Fellows decided to create an annual event that carried forward Bill’s practice of literal active thinking. The BAF Disaster Dash 5K celebrates Bill’s practice of combining exercise with deep thoughtfulness about mitigating the impacts of hazards and disasters. The first Disaster Dash was held during the July 2015 Natural Hazards Workshop and has subsequently become a permanent part of the Workshop program.