Businesses and race planners in L.A.’s Chinatown are hoping this year’s edition of the Firecracker Run on Feb. 20 and 21 will boost visitor numbers, foot traffic and interest in Asian-American culture.

NBCNews.com reported Monday that a major goal of this year’s race, according to Firecracker Run’s founding race director Edmund Soohoo was to, “let people experience Chinatown in a different way. Not coming for food only, not coming because they’re buying trinkets at the gift shop. They’re coming to run, do something fun and healthy, and celebrate…the Lunar New Year. It’s about sharing the diversity of Southern California.”

Firecracker Run also hopes to continue its philanthropic tradition. Past races have raised an estimated $500,000 for such organizations as the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California, Chinatown Senior Citizens Service Center, Friends of the Chinatown Library and Chinatown Service Center, as well as local elementary schools.