Guest Written by Sara JondahlHave you ever heard of a Color Run? It is a 5K or 1K running race where people run a course and at different points color is thrown out over you. At the end you are also given a chance to throw color on surrounding runners, friends who came out to support your crazy running habit, or that best pal you’ve always wanted to throw something at. Sounds fun, right? Well we have an opportunity for you to join in this fun and to support a wonderful compassionate organization.This will be the second annual BBM 5K Color Run and it is being held to support the Hampton Foundation. What is BBM and who is the Hampton Foundation? Well I am glad you asked. My name is Sara Jondahl and I lead the Building Better Moms Group at the First United Methodist Church. BBM is a group of Moms — married moms, single moms, mothers of teenagers and mothers of infants — that meet on Wednesday nights. It is a sanctuary of support. It is a place where you can share who you are, what you struggle with and be able to ask questions that you have of other moms. I can say that we are not perfect, we do not have it all together, but we are here to share and learn together. A place to call home where we know it is safe. Also, as mothers, we know how important it is to share that love with others, to be examples through the struggles of motherhood, parenting and being wives. Each year is different. Each year begins the same but we grow for the better. We learn how to adapt, how to be present in our lives and the lives of those around us. As we grow, one thing remains the same, and that is our desire as mothers to help. To help those less fortunate, those struggling and to help them for the better. One of the ways that we help mothers is through the Hampton Foundation. The Hampton Foundation’s core beliefs are to provide support so that families may be with loved ones. The Hampton Foundation provides gas cards so they can travel to the hospital. It provides a hotel room so they can stay a little longer with their child. It provides a caring, nurturing system with love, prayer and support. The Hampton Foundation helps families with children who have been diagnosed with a terminal disease or born prematurely. It is because of their core beliefs that BBM has teamed up with The Hampton Foundation to put on the 2015 5K Color Run and kids 1K fun run. It’s all to raise funds and help families pay bills so that they can be with their child. Last year we raised over $4,000 for the Hampton Foundation. The Foundation used those funds to help pay bills for people like Ashly. Ashly’s baby, Champ, was born at 26 weeks although he had stopped growing and his effective age was 22 weeks. Did you know that doctors don’t really treat children less than 24 weeks because the expectancy is less than 10 percent? I did not, and was sad to hear that the doctors asked Ashly to remove life support. She refused to give up on her son, and we have watched a miracle happen. Miracles still happen today. Champ truly lives up to his name and now, at 8 and a half months old, has surpassed all the doctor’s expectations.I love to be part of this story, and there are many more stories like this that the Hampton Foundation has helped. Don’t you want to be a part of these lives, to stand with the Hampton Foundation and provide support for these families and children when they cannot stand for themselves? Your chance to help is here. Just sign up to run in the 5K Color Run, or walk if you prefer, sign your kids up for the 1K fun run, help sponsor the run or show up on race day and help throw color at those crazy runners. We would love to have you stand with us and support those who cannot. Sign-up sheets can be found at Coldwell Banker, Regions Main Bank, or at the First United Methodist church, or of course the day of the race. Thank you!
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