The temperature reading on the car dashboard said 32. That’s freezing right? Regardless, it was ridiculously cold. And early. But lo and behold Metro EDGE’s Run to Feed the Hungry Team started gathering at 7:30am on Thanksgiving morning. With mittens, hats, and cups of Peet’s coffee in hand, the Metro EDGE crew came together to support the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Service’s 17th annual Run to Feed the Hungry.
This year the race drew about 30,000 participants to the big event, which offered a 5k or 10k walk or run that takes you from the Sac State campus down J Street, through East Sac and back. The streets were lined as always with cheerful supporters, yelling encouraging words, staying cozy with cups of hot cocoa or sipping a morning mimosa.
This was the second year that Metro EDGE brought together a team to participate, and this year we raised $1,565 in additional donations, on top of the entry fees that support the charitable cause.
Here’s a little background on the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services – they provide critical services free of charge to community members. SFBFS is able to leverage funds to turn every $1 donated into $10 worth of products and services. Here are some examples of how the donations are used:
- Food Assistance: $10 = a 4 day supply of nutritious food for a family of 4.
- Clothing: $10 = 20 articles of clothing for 5 people.
- Mother-Baby: $20.00 = infant formula, diapers and baby clothing for a family of 4.
- Women's Wisdom Art: $50 = 8 classes of art education for 4 students.
- Computer Clubhouse: $500 = 1 week of technology-based after school activities for 15 children.
The event was a huge success for the Sacramento community. It was a great way to start the Thanksgiving day for Metro EDGE’s participants, and demonstrated our commitment to giving back to our local community. Some of us walked, some ran, and we all had a blast. Next year we’ll be out there again – and we’ll work to get even more runners out there and beat this year’s fundraising mark of $1,565!