Last Saturday, friends and supporters of Mercy Multiplied laced up their sneakers to help people find freedom and healing in Christ. This year’s Virtual Run for Mercy 5K and Family Walk brought supporters together throughout the United States and Europe to celebrate all that God is doing through Mercy’s residential and outpatient programs and Outreach Services! This year, we had participants representing 36 states, Norway, and Ireland!
We asked participants to share about their race day with us on social media, and we were blown away by the creativity and dedication of so many of our supporters! One participant walked her 5K in the mall, while others ran in their neighborhoods, parks, and cities. So many families and church groups came together and held their very own races in their community.
Our National Director of Philanthropy, Lauren Hobar, had this to say about this year’s 5K:
“Our virtual 5K has allowed us to connect with so many supporters throughout the United States who would have never been able to come to one of our in-person races. It was incredible to see people running for Mercy from so many different places, including Norway and Ireland! We pray that all of those who supported Mercy through this event know they are making a way for more hurting people to find freedom in Christ! We are so grateful!”
Each year the women in our residential program train and participate in our annual 5K. This is always a highlight for many of the residents during their time at Mercy and helps them build a foundation for their health and wellness while teaching them how to set and reach goals. This year, volunteers and supporters from their local communities came together and blessed them with an amazing race day experience and offered support and encouragement as they completed their races!
These are just a few of the comments we received from our residents about their Run for Mercy experience:
“As I walked, I took time to reflect on the change that has occurred in my life since coming to Mercy. In my journey to freedom, there were some days that felt as though I had not made one ounce of progress. However, the finish line gives a unique perspective, akin to what I hope to have when I complete the program because “He who promises is faithful.” -Mercy Resident
“I really liked it because it took me out of my comfort zone with my Mercy sisters. I got to encourage and be encouraged by others. My favorite part was crossing the finish line with a staff member and finishing it under my goal time!” -Mercy Resident
“It was so cool getting to enjoy the race in a non-competitive atmosphere, especially since I’ve always run in a competitive setting. It wasn’t focused on what I could do, but it was focused on enjoying the time and supporting others. It was also so neat to see other residents who wouldn’t have run it on their own complete the race or finish under a certain time!” -Mercy Resident
We are so proud of our residents for their hard work and determination to complete their own 5K’s. Each and every one of them reached their goal of completing their races and did it with a resilient and positive attitude!
Thank you to everyone who fundraised, donated, and participated in this year’s Virtual Run for Mercy 5K and Family Walk! We also want to thank all of this year’s sponsors, with a special shout-out to KLOVE, Air1, CoreCivic, M1 Bank, and 99.1 JOY FM.
If you didn’t have the chance to participate in this year’s Virtual Run for Mercy 5K and Family Walk but would still like to donate, click here.
