Food Pantry sponsors Thanksgiving Run to Feed the Hungry

FALLBROOK — The Fallbrook Food Pantry is joining with other food drives around the country to sponsor a Thanksgiving Run to Feed the Hungry. Fallbrook’s event will be held on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, November 18, at 9 a.m., with sign-in at 8:30 a.m.

The Thanksgiving tradition of Run to Feed the Hungry began in 1994 in Sacramento when Gaylord Walker organized the first run as a benefit for the Sacramento Food Bank. Nearly 800 runners turned out for that inaugural edition of the run and since then the event has grown to include a staggering 15,000 participants annually. The growing popularity of the event seems to be related to the notion that as we give thanks for our own blessings at Thanksgiving, we should also reach out to help those who are in need. The Sacramento runners do indeed help, by raising an annual contribution of more than $400,000 for the Sacramento Food Bank. Cities all over the country have followed suit with races of their own, and Fallbrook now is poised to join their ranks in this fitting Thanksgiving tradition.

As we all celebrate Thanksgiving, we can also help out those who are less fortunate by participating, either as a runner, a walker or a sponsor in the Fallbrook Run/Walk to Feed the Hungry. Participants will receive sponsor forms in advance, which will be distributed by local churches and community organizations, and then sign up their own sponsors. Sponsor forms and the donations collected should be turned in prior to the race, at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 18. All entrants will receive commemorative t-shirts.

Fallbrook’s inaugural Run/Walk to Feed the Hungry will follow the same route as the Fallbrook CROP Walk, beginning at the Fallbrook Food Pantry, 1042 South Mission Road, travel north through town, circle on North Olive Road and then return to the Pantry, where Pantry staffers will provide hot dogs and punch or water.

Additional details will be publicized in the coming weeks. For more information, call event organizer Jean Dooley at (760) 728-5682 or the Food Pantry at (760) 728-7608.