Friday, November 27, 2015

Ugly Sweater 5k - Adopt-A-Soldier!

November 22, 2015 ~ In an effort to keep our motivation of walking going and figuring out how to blend it with a good cause our Midway Walkie Talkies (Our team name for the MU Step Up Challenge and one we use when doing fun stuff as a group) decided to Adopt-A-Soldier and create the Ugly Sweater 5k!

We created a Facebook Event Page titled "Ugly Sweater 5k" 
 
The Midway Walkie Talkies love walking and talking. We also like coming up with reasons to host a 5k for a good cause. We want to invite you to join us for an "Ugly Sweater 5k" where we have Adopted-A-Soldier and we need your help to make his/her holiday a little more special! This is a public event and anyone is welcome to join us... kids included! (So help us spread the word)

The rules are simple....
1. Grab a your ugliest sweater (please keep it clean) from way back in the very back of your closet or a second hand store - but it must be cheap or free!
2. Grab your favorite and comfortable tennis shoes!
3. Grab your spouse/significant other and kids to get in on the fun! 
(Just remember they need an ugly sweater too!)
4. Bring some holiday cheer! (smiles and laughter)
5. We will be posting a list of needs/wants for our soldier soon!

We will be WALKING this entire 5k (3.1 miles) while laughing, acting crazy and just plain having fun! (No running allowed) We will determine where this will be held closer to time but somewhere in Columbia, MO! We will have a drink station set up to quench our thirst and some snacks too! Oh and we will have someone taking photos.... I mean you just won't understand how much fun this will be without some photos right?

We know there will be at least 10 of us but the more the merrier! Your entry fee will be an item (or items) on the soldiers wants/needs list.

We know the holidays are coming and while our soldier is away from their families during this holiday season we thought it would be nice to send a little bit of home to them! Help us show our support and thank them for protecting our country and our freedoms!

Just let us know if you are planning on attending so we can have enough "finisher prizes" at the end for you! We will be posting a picture soon of the awesome finisher prizes! :)
 
As plans began coming together we would post the information!  
 
 We are excited to have Cherie Rutter with Cherie's Cake Boutique & Tea Room making mini cupcakes for our Ugly Sweater 5k! 
 
 Even though it's not supposed to rain it will be cooler temps for the Ugly Sweater 5k so we will have hot chocolate and apple cider to warm you up with a special thanks to Jacki Swank! See just one more way we are taking care of our awesome walkers for this event! If you help recruit others to join us then we'll have marshmallows for you!
 
 We are super excited to have Nicole Hunt capturing the many smiles, giggles and ugly sweaters for the Ugly Sweater 5k! Thank you so much Nicole for agreeing to help us out so we can send some pictures to our soldier to brighten his day when he receives the many care packages! 
 
 Just finished up the finisher prizes for the Ugly Sweater 5k! Just a small token to remember a fun event that is supporting an active duty soldier currently serving our country!
 
The Ugly Sweater 5k will be held in a subdivision located in Midway! 
(Midway is just outside Columbia's city limits)
 
 Happy Tuesday everyone! Special thanks to Clear 99 and Scotty and Cara in the Morning on Clear 99 (a local country radio station) we now have Adopted-A-Soldier! Our soldier is a United States Marine and serving his first tour overseas. His name is Chance and the following is some of his needs and wants:
Moisture Eye Drops
Twizzlers
Gum
Mints
Cosmic Brownies
Beef Jerky
Powdered Gatorade or Water Flavors
Unscented Baby Wipes
Long Black Socks
Chap-stick
Sunblock
Oreo's
Chips Ahoy

He also loves country music, especially patriotic songs. Other great items we can collect are sunflower seeds, snack packs of crackers, cookies, etc.

*I would like to ask the kids attending this Ugly Sweater 5k to please draw a picture or write a note to our soldier and anyone else wishing to send a note of appreciation and thanks is welcome to do so. We will be sending a group photo of this event along with a note of how we got his name while sending a little piece of home to him.*

We bring to you the Ugly Sweater 5k! 
(Photo Credit: Nicole Hunt)

Your Midway Walkie Talkies! 
(Ashley, Michele, Megan, Kelly and Suzanne)

Midway Walkie Talkies plus Momma! 
(Ashley, Michele, Marsue, Megan, Kelly and Suzanne)

Kelly Schultz and her beautiful daughters Mylisa and Brianna

Dawn and Nicole Ettleman

The Swanks!
(Jacki, Craig, Alex and JJ)
Craig has served two tours overseas and knows exactly what these packages mean from back home.... Thank you Craig for your service! 

Jacki, Cindy Mutrux and Michele
(Cindy brings the sparkle to any fundraiser/party!) 

Kelly, Tracy Eichhorn and Michele

Jaxon sampling the hot chocolate! 
 
Time to get this Ugly Sweater 5k started....
What a fun and purposeful day! 
We laughed, we ate snacks and laughed some more! 
So. Much. Fun.

We turned this into....
9 heavy and fully packed boxes that we sent to Chance! 

I would highly recommend checking out the Adopt-A-Soldier program through Clear 99 and instead of buying things that you don't really need why don't you Adopt-A-Soldier and show him or her how much you appreciate what they are doing for our country. They can't be home for the holidays and it's a great way to brighten their day and send a little home to them! I promise it will make your heart happy! 
 
Clear 99 - Today's Best Country
Columbia, MO




 

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