This year, as a result of health and safety guidelines, we made the decision to host our annual Run for Mercy 5K and Family Walk virtually. Even though we would have loved to gather each community together for the race like we normally do, hosting virtually this year allowed people from all over the world to participate in our Run for Mercy and connect with us regardless of where they lived.

We were so blessed to see such an incredible turnout from our supporters who were able to run or walk their 5K’s in their own communities and fundraise for us while they did it. One of our teams, the Elevation Church eGroups team, even had 40 members located all across the globe, with participants in the United States, Argentina, Bahrain, and the United Kingdom!

One local Nashville team leader and longtime Mercy supporter had this to say about her fundraising and race experience:

“Twenty-five of our twenty-nine team members reached their goals, so it was truly a group effort. We even got our granddaughters involved. They raised $113 at a lemonade stand! In many ways, our fundraising efforts weren’t about the money at all but were more about making people aware of the marvelous work that Mercy Multiplied does and how God changes the lives of the young women served by Mercy. So it was an uplifting experience for all who were involved. And it was fun; we actually did the 5K in our neighborhood, complete with a balloon finish line! And we all had brunch afterward at our home. We want the girls to know we love them and care about them and so does Jesus! They are our motivation! Their lives and the witnesses for Christ that they are to the world!” -Lisa Abraham, Got Mercy Team Captain

All of the residents from each of our Mercy homes participated in their own 5K’s, which is something they train for every year as they learn how to build a foundation for health and wellness. This year, even though our residents were not able to run with their local communities, volunteers still came out to support and encourage them while they ran.

Sacramento

Our Sacramento residents had a great time completing their race! They were joined by Mercy staff and volunteers from local churches, who cheered them on and provided encouragement throughout their 5K. It was a beautiful day with Thrivent Financial and AirOne in attendance with refreshments, games, gifts, music and swag booths at the finish line! Thank you so much to all who came to support our Sacramento residents!

St. Louis

In St. Louis, local volunteers came to Victory Church to help set up the race route and cheer on our residents, including community board member Shari DeGraaf, who created an amazing balloon arch for the start and finish line! After the residents completed their race, Arnold Chick-fil-a donated lunch and Joe Kotraba donated snow cones. Thank you so much to Laura Borman with Victory Church for putting together an amazing team of volunteers and helping facilitate the day’s activities.

Nashville

At our Nashville home, the residents’ 5K was held at a local park on a beautiful and sunny day. They were accompanied and supported by home staff and their dogs as they completed their race! Local volunteers and Nashville corporate staff came out to cheer on the residents by holding up encouraging signs as they completed their race. The residents celebrated their victories with a special lunch. Thank you to all the community volunteers for making our Nashville residents feel so special during their 5K!

We are so incredibly proud of each and every one of our residents for the hard work they put in to training and their determination to finish their races. We are also so thankful to every community member who came to bless our residents with their love and support. A huge thank you to everyone from all over the world who fundraised, donated, sponsored, and participated in the years Virtual Run for Mercy 5K and Family Walk!

Thank you to this year’s Virtual Run for Mercy 5K and Family Walk sponsors: KLOVE, AIR1, William Jessup University, M1 Bank, 99.1 Joy! FM, Gordon Food Service, InterWest Insurance Services, LLC, FirstBank, and ARBONNE!