Nationally, tens of millions of people participate in endurance events like the Stuffed Strut 5k, raising over $1 billion annually. Races are popular to both raise awareness and funds while overcoming a difficult, physical challenge. There’s also the “Martyrdom Effect” at work. Friends and family are willing to support runners/walkers when they see the endeavor will require sacrifice and exertion. Even so, holding an endurance event that makes a significant charitable impact can be elusive. Increased giving is often offset by high event costs. Tina rose the next morning to a text message from her sister that read, “Oh my, just look at your donations!” Tina was amazed at what had happened. Her friends and family had already given over $300 overnight, smashing her original goal in less than 24 hours. Tina went on to raise over 300 café meals. She completed her virtual 5k run along the banks of Wappingers Creek, a tributary of the Hudson River. All told 37 people from ten states and two locations abroad gave through Tina’s profile. Her fiancé, Andrew, decided to match the highest individual gift. While Tina was motivated by deep love for fighting hunger, she knows that feeling “doesn’t just disappear into thin air.” She says, “You donate to some things, and you don’t really know where it goes, but this is an instant help, and I trust everything you guys do. I’ve known Andy (Kegley) and Mike (Pugh) forever, and they’re just a real, as my sister said, ‘a treasure for the community.’”  Collectively, heroes against hunger like Tina, her friends and family, 181 walkers and runners, and 190 donors, made the 10th Annual Stuffed Strut 5k HOPE, Inc.’s most impactful event ever! Stuffed Strut gifts and registrations, net of costs, funded 2,225 café meals. That’s slightly more than 10% of annual meals served at the Open Door Café. Gross proceeds exceeded $20,000. Like the Magi who set out for a long, difficult journey to deliver gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, nothing was guaranteed. While the Magi were motivated by a deep love and belief in their purpose, they also depended on one another to deliver their gifts. The Open Door Café depends on such love, and it could not deliver gifts of warm, homemade meals without your generous support. If you’d still like to deliver a hot meal this Advent season, there’s still time. Contribute to your favorite Hero Against Hunger at www.strutwytheus.org. To make sure your friends don’t miss next year’s event, encourage them to sign up for our mailing list. For those looking forward to our next endurance event, The Fast and Fiorini Charity Ride to end homelessness is set for June 18, 2022. This year’s ride features the same metric century route for serious cycling enthusiasts. New offerings will include leisure ride routes, a virtual option, and a kid’s bike-a-thon to fight childhood hunger. The journey is long, and the work of Advent continues beyond December. We hope you’ll join us and invite friends for the next ride. |
