Community Corner
A Blustery Day Didn't 'Scare' These Runners Away
The Second Annual Scare Away Hunger 5K raised more than $20,000 for the Rochester Area Neighborhood House.
The Food Pantry at the Rochester Area Neighborhood House has been running on empty.
For the first time ever in its 45-year history it was nearly out of tuna fish.
"We used to have a room full of tuna," director Lorainne Kremer said. "Now we're down to two cases."
Find out what's happening in Rochester-Rochester Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
With a typical day seeing 17 families at the Food Pantry, two cases would not last long.
It was a scary situation—until 470 runners and walker came to scare hunger away.
Find out what's happening in Rochester-Rochester Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The 2nd Annual Scare Away Hunger 5K
Sponsored by Renaissance Capital Alliance and Citizens Bank, the event, in addition to the run, is an opportunity for the community to bring their families out to the Rochester Municipal Park, have fun and raise money for those in need.
This year's event raised over $20,000 for the Rochester Area Neighborhood House.
The day included pumpkin rolling races, an obstacle course, face painting, crafts and a scavenger hunt. The RARA Dance Studio’s Select Performance Team entertained the crowd with dance performances.
"Despite the blustery weather, people were having a lot of fun!" volunteer coordinator Patti Toma said. "It was a great day!"
And then, of course, there was the race.
And the winners are....
This year's 5K had 470 runners and walkers. Here are the winners:
MALES
Winner Type
Name
Overall Winner
Nick Rossetti
Male 13 & under
Stephen Landis
Male 14 - 19
Joshua Tanghe
Male 20-29
Joseph Becker
Male 30-39
Brian Ward
Male 40-49
Rob Doty
Male 50-59
Steve Shablin
Male 60 & over
Daniel Beattie
FEMALES
Winner Type
Name
Overall Winner
Jennifer Blackburn
Female 13 & under
Rielee Fetty
Female 14 -19
Meridith Anness
Female 20-29
Carly Savickas
Female 30-39
Agnieszka Muxlow
Female 40-49
Laura Murphy
Female 50-59
Kristin Pitciran
Female 60 & over
Lois MacFarland
The full list of results are available at http://www.runmichigan.com/results/.
Filling up the van, Mustang style
Musson Elementary School students, known as the Mustangs, supported the event in another way. They had a canned food drive and donated over 450 cans of food to the Scare Away Hunger event.
"The Neighborhood House van is filled up!" Executive Director Linda Riggs said. "We haven't seen it this full in awhile."
Musson also had an art display at the park showcasing students' representations of the Scare Away Hunger theme.
About the Neighborhood House
The Rochester Area Neighborhood House is a private, non-profit human service organization that was founded by communities of faith in 1968.
Neighborhood House has grown over the years to become a full service agency servicing any qualifying families in need from Rochester, Rochester Hills, Auburn Hills, Oakland Township and Addison Township.
The agency mission is to assist the community during times of hardship, partnering with the community and other social service providers to help struggling individuals and families move toward self sufficiency.
Neighborhood House works from a holistic model providing emergency financial assistance, counseling, job coaching, budget assistance, transportation, food assistance, clothing assistance, and more to families in our service area.
To find out more, call 248-651-5836.