ADA TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — It was a competition of athletics and donations Saturday at Forest Hills Eastern High School as runners shed a few layers to enjoy a 60-degree 5K and 1-mile run for a good cause.
The second annual Jon and John’s Tris4Health Grand Rapids Virgil and Louise Phelps Memorial Celebrity Leftovers Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run Race to End Hunger — aptly nicknamed The Leftover Run — owes its lengthy name to NBC sitcom “The Office.” Race organizer Jon Conkling says the name also pays tribute to his business partner John Mosey’s grandparents, who were actively involved with North Kent Connect for years.
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The fun run merged the holiday spirit with a good cause. Organizers with Tris4Health partnered with North Kent Connect to raise funds and collect food for those who need help ahead of Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, holiday music blared over the speakers as runners dressed in turkey outfits and colorful gear made their way to the Hawks’ football stadium.
For every boxed or canned good donated, runners earned 30 seconds off their finishing time. For those donating turkeys, one minute per pound was dropped from their overall time. Participants brought dozens of canned and boxed goods, along with pounds upon pounds of turkey.
For some, the competition was on the course. For others like Kentwood resident Destiny Smith, the competition was measured in donations. Smith said she came out to defend her “world record” from last year of minus 27 minutes and 37 seconds. After bringing an initial 110 pounds worth of turkeys to donate, she noticed someone had outdone her. The thought of losing her title sent Smith back to Meijer before the race, where she purchased another 100 pounds…