Number Five Is Alive

I walked as part of a fundraising 5K with the North Iowa Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation today. The group left from East Park and walked along State Street, Kentucky Ave, Birch Drive, North Carolina Ave. and 4th Street NE. There were about 100 people registered: adults, teenagers and children.

Gathering before the run

 I found it an interesting experience to walk without knowing anyone there. Most people were grouped with family and friends, though the man in front of me was walking alone. I looked around at the many different people, but could not tell which ones had Type 1 diabetes, and which ones were merely walking or running in support of loved ones.

Lining up

As I left East Park, I settled into a litany: Christ's Peace, Christ's Joy, Christ's Justice, and Christ's Mercy be upon you; God's Peace, God's Joy, God's Justice, and God's Mercy be upon this town and these people.


At each point along the trail where there was a big turn, there was a volunteer in a yellow shirt waiting to guide and encourage us.  It is hard to top a morning where I get to help out a good cause, experience an endorphin rush, and have 6-10 strangers go out of their way to tell me "good job," "you can do it," and "keep going."

To sum up today's walk, I will post some more pictures.  They are pictures of paths and of people walking those paths; people in front of me, people beside me, and though I suspect I was the last person to cross the finish line this morning, strings of people walking behind me along the way.

   

                               

View Prayer Walk JDRF in a larger map