The first annual The Dash for Secret Meals for Hungry Children! Come out to Sokol Park for a 5K and Fun Run to help feed hungry children with Secret Meals!
The Dash is the first installment of a new annual 5K and Walk/Fun Run to raise money for Secret Meals for Hungry Children.
What are our fundraising goals?
- Bronze: 10 kids - 1400 meals - $1400
- Silver: 25 kids - 3500 meals - $3500
- Gold: 40 kids - 5600 meals - $5600
What about the 5K?
- Prizes will be awarded to the Top 3 Male and Top 3 Female finishers in the competitive 5K.
- This is not a certified race.
- The entire race is routed within Sokol Park and is a trail run.
- Refreshments will be provided at the finish line.
How much does it cost?
- $10 if you register by Tuesday, July 31!
- $15 after that, including the day of the race
- The first 100 registrants before August 3 will receive a free T-shirt
What should I do on race day?
- Show up about 30 minutes early (7:30AM) for a quick check in and warm up
- This race will be timed using external timers, so you don't have a chip to worry about
- There is no race packet to pick up. T-shirt recipients will receive their shirt after the race.
I can't run that day but want to support The Dash and Secret Meals. Can I still donate?
Yes! Complete your registration but indicate you are not running.
What about people who attend but don't race?
We'll have a free raffle and prizes!
Who are we supporting in 2018?
Secret Meals for Hungry Children, provided by the Alabama Credit Union and the West Alabama Food Bank.
The program began in 2008 when a Tuscaloosa school approached the West Alabama Food Bank seeking help for the many children who showed up at school on Monday having not eaten since their school lunch on Friday. The food bank partnered with the Alabama Credit Union soon after and have worked hard to grow and support more children each year.
Almost 20% of elementary school children in Alabama fall below the poverty and struggle with food insecurity at home. Secret Meals helps these children by working with schools, teachers, cafeteria staff, counselors, and social workers to secretly place two nutritious breakfasts and lunches in the children's backpacks each Friday for the weekend.
Every $140 raised pays for one child to have two breakfasts and lunches per weekend during the 35-week school year. Secret Meals provides weekend meals to more than 2,500 children in Alabama and northern Florida each year. More than 1700 of these children live in West Alabama and 1300 are in the Tuscaloosa County School System. Secret Meals is committed to never withdraw from a school they pledge to support and have never turned down a child in need.
This level of amazing supports means Secret Meals has a very big annual fundraising goal. Every dollar donated to Secret Meals is spent on meals for the children, and every dollar above costs raised by The Dash will go to Secret Meals. Administrative costs for Secret Meals are paid through separate donations, fundraising, and support from the Alabama Credit Union.
Let's help Secret Meals for Hungry Children feed these kids!
Who is hosting the event?
The Dash is established by the Summers752 Foundation as a memorial for Christopher Summers, a Tuscaloosa native, posthumous 2018 Tuscaloosa County High School graduate, and cross country runner who died in a car accident on Highway 43 North in October 2017. Chris often competed on this course and loved Sokol Park. Chris first learned about food insecurity in 4th grade. It broke his heart that children his age didn’t have enough to eat at home on the weekends. He cared deeply about helping and protecting people in need.
Come join us for the first annual The Dash for Secret Meals on Saturday, August 18 at 8am at Munny Sokol Park South!
