‘Leftover Run’ supports Rockford-area food pantry
ADA TOWNSHIP, Mich (WOOD) — It's a funny name with a serious mission.
The inaugural Jon and John's Tris4Health Grand Rapids Virgil and Louise Phelps Memorial Celebrity Leftovers Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run Race to End Hunger (also known as The Leftover Run) will be held Saturday morning at Forest Hills Eastern High School.
The long name is a reference to the NBC show "The Office."
The race from Tris4Health is run with two goals in mind: to have fun and to help those in need.
"We wanted to basically raise a lot of funds and can goods, frozen turkeys, those kind of materials for thanksgiving so people actually do have leftovers," Tris4Health President Jon Konklin said.
His Grand Rapids-based sporting event management company has teamed up with the North Kent Connect food bank near Rockford to do just that come race day.
There will be three races Saturday: a 1-mile family run, a 5K and a 10K. The first race starts at 9 a.m. These runs come with a bit of a twist: For every can or nonperishable item you donate, you get 30 seconds off your run time. If you donate a frozen turkey, you get one minute off per pound.
"You can literally come with a whole bunch of canned goods for North Kent Connect and have a negative time for a 5K," Konklin said.
Tris4Health's partnership with North Kent Connect is a way for it to honor a family legacy.
"My business partner John Mosey, his grandparents are Virgil and Lousie Phelps," Konklin said. "They actually donated a lot of their money and time throughout the years at North Kent Connect. It was really near and dear to their heart. When we were coming up with this concept, it just naturally fell into place. It was a great way for him to honor his grandparents and for us to carry it forward."
It's a partnership North Kent Connect was glad to be a part of.
"This was a great idea. I love to say yes to things," Scott Christie, director of development at North Kent Connect, said. "It's really great to have fun and raise funds and bring food in for our clients."
Participants also get some leftovers. Tris4Health has plenty of unused medals and T-shirts from other runs it sponsors throughout the year. Every runner will get to pick a 'leftover' shirt and medal after the race.
