In the Archual house, Thanksgiving is the official kick-off to celebrate the holiday season! (no Christmas music is played, no holiday movies watched, or candy canes eaten, until then!)

But for us, it starts well before that juicy turkey and all its trimmings are placed on the bountiful table.

It begins around 9 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning.

Come rain, shine, or freezing temperatures, (and we’ve endured them all) the Archuals pack up and head into downtown Roanoke to participate in the Union’s annual Drumstick Dash 5k race to benefit the Roanoke Rescue Mission.

Six years ago, our family decided to participate in our first ever Drumstick Dash in memory of my mom who had passed away a few years prior.

That year, my son had joined his high school’s cross country team, and his coach, whose alter ego just so happens to be that of “Dash” the race’s mascot, encouraged his team to get out and run in the annual 5k race, while also supporting the Rescue Mission.

The Rescue Mission and its purpose, held a very special place in my mom’s heart, and Thanksgiving tended to be a very difficult time for our family without her.

We were in need of a new tradition…

We felt the Drumstick Dash would be the perfect way to both honor my mom and also help others.

The Roanoke Rescue Mission

The Roanoke Rescue Mission was started in 1948 by Gus and Lois Johnson and was primarily a men’s facility providing shelter, daily meals, and the Good News of Jesus Christ.

A few years later, the Mission then began to open its facility to women and also started a children’s ministry.

The Roanoke Rescue Mission that serves our community today, now offers both a men’s and women’s shelter, along with a family shelter.

There’s also an onsite free medical clinic, Manna Mission Ministries, which is a ministry that helps provide groceries for struggling families, a residential recovery addiction program, a program that offers extra support such as additional education and job training to prepare individuals to get back into the work force, and a summer day camp for children staying at the Mission. And all while sharing the love and hope found only in Jesus Christ.

Although the Mission has grown in many great ways, they continue to do the one thing they originally started back those sixty-nine years ago, and that is feeding the hungry.

The lines usually begin forming about a half hour before the meals are served. Stretching from the front door and extending into the parking lot and down the sidewalk, the Roanoke Rescue Mission provides  three daily meals for around five hundred people a day, three-hundred-and-sixty-five days a year.

In 2016, the Roanoke Rescue Mission provided 225,301 meals to hungry men, women, and children.

When you think about providing for well over two-hundred -thousand meals annually, the grocery bill sure adds up!

That’s where the Union’s Drum Stick Dash comes in!

The Drum Stick Dash, which is a certified USA track and field 5 k route that runs through the streets of downtown Roanoke, benefits the Rescue Mission’s food services and is its primary fundraiser.

When I spoke to Uneita Mathews, the race director, she explained that last year’s race raised $265,000 for the Mission’s food services, breaking their fundraising record!

“In 2006, the 5k was a volunteer’s idea for a fundraiser, and we thought we’d give it a shot!

We were told by experts in the racing world, we would be lucky to get four hundred people out on Thanksgiving morning.”

Last year almost 13,000 runners, walkers, strollers, and dogs participated in the race, and not all of them are locals.

“We usually have about forty states represented each year, many of those traveling into Roanoke for the Thanksgiving holiday.”

In all its years of fundraising, The Drumstick Dash has raised 2.1 million dollars for the Mission.

Uneita proudly adds that the Drumstick Dash has won top  awards for being named the best charity event in the Valley.

“God has really blessed the race!”

This will be the Dash’s twelfth anniversary, and also the year that Miss Uneita will pass the “turkey leg torch” onto her successor, as she is retiring.

“Of course, you never really retire from ministry. I’ll still be around!” She adds.

If you’ve never experienced the Drumstick Dash, I encourage you to do so!

The excitement on race day is nothing less than thrilling!

The runners and walkers are energized!

The crowd is enthusiastic!

And although you are one of the 13,000, you strangely feel connected with those all around you!

And, you never know who you will see!!

There are many from the sidelines that applaud and shout encouragement as you continue down the race’s route, but perhaps the biggest cheerleader at the Drumstick Dash is that of the Turkey himself!

 

Turkey Talk with “Dash!”

“Dash”, aka Kevin Spencer, graciously sacrificed a few minutes during his busy season to chat with me about his role in the Drumstick Dash.

When Uneita Mathews was in search for her race mascot, she knew she had found the perfect man, or “Turkey” to represent the Mission.

Spencer and Mathews had attended a church together several years before, and when she had learned that Spencer had become an avid runner, she knew he was the one-in-a-million fowl for the job!

Mathews then contacted Spencer and invited him down to take a tour of the Mission.

“I really didn’t know a lot about the Rescue Mission.” Kevin explains.

“I had thought it was basically a men’s shelter. I was really impressed when I toured the Mission and found out about the family shelter and how families could be together. I knew this was something I wanted to be involved in.”

Spencer explained how he had been praying about how God might use his running in some way.

His prayers were certainly answered!

Spencer suits up throughout the year in his turkey attire and trots to schools, festivals, and other public events to promote the race and the Rescue Mission.

**Turkey Fun Fact:  Speaking of attire, “Dash’s” costume was created locally and his turkey tail feathers were constructed, by hand, from over seventy neckties that were donated to the Rescue Mission.

“I love it so much! Now, it’s almost like a family reunion! You’re always gonna see people you know!  I get to see families’ year after year as they approach me for their annual Turkey picture!”

One thing that Spencer thinks is unique about the Drumstick Dash is the location of the packet pickup, which is held days before the race.

“At most races, they hold their packet pickup site at a civic center or convention center. The cool thing about the Drumstick Dash’s packet pickup, is that it is held right there at the Mission, giving the participates a chance to see the Mission and get a feel for what it’s all about.”

I thanked Kevin for his time to which he added,

“I’ll see ya next Thursday! Come find me, I’ll be the one dressed like a Turkey!”

And while this year, I may not be a “Drumstick Dasher” but more along the lines of a “Turkey Trotter,” I’m still looking forward to,

“Moving My Feet So Others Can Eat!”

There’s still time to register!

https://drumstickdash.net

“Helping hurting people in Jesus’ name.”

~The Roanoke Rescue Mission~