How It Works

Run. Give. Volunteer. Sponsor. Nominate. Every path leads to supporting a family in our community.

The Problem We’re Solving

No Family Should Have to Carry Hardship Alone

Every community has families going through difficult seasons - a cancer diagnosis, a sudden job loss, a medical crisis that changes everything overnight. Most of the time, those families aren’t asking for help. They’re quietly carrying it while trying to keep life moving forward for the people they love.

The Gratitude Run exists to make sure those families don’t have to carry that weight alone.

By bringing the community together each Thanksgiving morning, we create a simple but powerful way for neighbors to support neighbors - with real help, real resources, and real human connection when it matters most.

How It Works

Every Path Leads to a Family

The Gratitude Run is built around one simple idea: every action someone takes should lead directly to helping a local family.

People participate in different ways - some run, some donate, some volunteer, some sponsor, and some nominate families who may need support. Together, those individual actions become something much bigger: a community showing up for its own.

Funds raised through the Gratitude Run go directly toward supporting Hero Families facing medical, financial, or personal hardship. From covering medical expenses to easing day-to-day burdens, every contribution stays local and creates tangible impact for families in our community.

What Makes this Event Different

More Than a Race

The Gratitude Run was never created to be a traditional race. There are no timing chips, rankings, or finish-line pressure. What brings people back every year is something deeper - the feeling of being part of a community that genuinely cares for one another.

On Thanksgiving morning, families, students, local businesses, first responders, sports teams, and neighbors all show up together for the same reason: to make sure nobody in this community feels forgotten during a hard season.

That’s what makes this special. It’s not just an event people attend. It’s a tradition people believe in.

Impact Summary

Real Impact, Right Here at Home

Since the first Gratitude Run, our
community has raised more than
$200,000 in support of local Hero
Families navigating some of life’s
most difficult moments.

That impact looks different for every family:
Medical bills covered during treatment
Financial relief during periods of lost income
Support for children and everyday household needs

Stability during moments that could have overwhelmed a family alone

More than 95% of every dollar raised goes directly to Hero Families - ensuring that the support created by this community reaches the people it was intended for.

But the impact goes beyond financial support. Every family we serve is reminded that their community sees them, stands beside them, and is willing to show up when they need it most.

Future Vision

Building Something That Lasts

Our vision is simple: to make
the Gratitude Run a lasting
Thanksgiving tradition that
continues serving families in
Peters Township for generations.

We want future families to grow up knowing that Thanksgiving morning means more than a meal - it means showing up for your community.

As the Gratitude Run continues to grow, so will the number of families we’re able to support and the impact we’re able to create together.

Long term, we believe this model can extend beyond one town. We believe every community deserves something like this - a simple, meaningful way for neighbors to care for one another during life’s hardest moments.

Because this has never just been about a race.

It’s about building a culture where people show up for each other - year after year.