Peace on earth will come to stay, when we live Christmas every day.
~Helen Steiner Rice
When my daughter was three and my son was six, we signed up for a local 1K fun run. My husband and I had already run a few 5Ks on our own, and we were hoping to make this shorter race a true family experience.
It was a brand-new race: the July Jingle Run, a fundraiser to benefit the Chesterfield-Colonial Heights Christmas Mother program. The organization’s goal is to make sure no member of the community goes without food, toys, or clothing during the holidays.
We thought it was an excellent opportunity to give back to our community, practice making healthy choices, and have a lot of fun as a family. The real selling point for the children was that we were encouraged to dress up in Christmas attire.
We visited thrift stores in search of Christmas-themed clothing that we could wear in the hot weather of late July. It seemed unlikely until we realized we could buy long-sleeved shirts and cut off the sleeves. Perfect solution.
We arrived early on race day and saw that the park was decorated with Christmas trees, inflatables, and colored lights. The environment was festive; it was truly Christmas in July.
When the race began, my husband and son took off through the woods. My daughter, Delaney, and I were in the back of the pack. She jogged at a speed that allowed her to chat the entire time. “Will we get a banana at the end?” she asked. “What about cookies? It’s a Christmas race, you know!”
I told her I wasn’t sure, and the only way to find out was to get to that finish line. She jogged a little, returned to a walk, and jogged some more. At one point, she tripped over a root, cried for a minute, and asked me to hold her. I did, but only until she calmed down. I wanted her to have the experience of crossing the finish line on her own two feet.
When she made it across, she looked so proud as the crowd around us cheered and clapped. She was the youngest race participant that year. She and her brother wore their medals as they walked to different booths, played games, and made crafts. They decorated banks to save for Christmas shopping, made beaded tree ornaments, and colored a few pictures. All four of us enjoyed taking pictures at the selfie booth with reindeer antlers, Santa hats, and elf ears. Plus, there was a booth for race participants to donate new books and toys. We were thrilled to participate in this as well.
The first annual July Jingle Run was a hit for both the Christmas Mother program and my family of four. And while my children are still very young and enticed by shiny medals and free bananas, they are also beginning to understand the bigger picture.
On the way back to our car, one of the race organizers stopped us to chat. “Thank you for coming and helping us out this year,” she said.
“You’re welcome,” I responded. “We are already looking forward to next year!”
“Why did she thank us?” my son asked after she was out of earshot. “Shouldn’t we have thanked her? We got to run, eat bananas, and make things to bring home.”
My husband and I explained that part of our registration fees and donated items were going to help children in our community have a better Christmas. He thought for a moment and said, “I really like helping.”
“We do, too,” we told him. “That’s one reason we run.”
We run other races throughout the year as they fit our schedules, and we are grateful to be able to support various causes and charities.
But the July Jingle Run holds a special place in our hearts as the first one we ran as a family. It’s a great cause, a festive theme, and a wonderful reason to celebrate Christmas in July.
— Melissa Face —