Although the forecast for Saturday shows no sign of snow, participants of the 12th annual Reindeer Run don’t need a one-horse open sleigh to dash through the Hocking Adena Bikeway. The “wacky, fun-filled 5k” will begin and end at the Eclipse Company Store, located at 11309 Jackson Drive.
The event is officially hosted by Friends of Athens CASA, a nonprofit auxiliary board supporting Athens Court Appointed Special Advocates.
The website defines the organization as a “court-based agency that recruits and trains community volunteers to serve as Court Appointed Special Advocates who represent the best interest of children involved in juvenile court because of abuse and neglect.”
Although the event is officially hosted by the board, the minutiae of it is largely organized by Tara Huffman, the executive director of Athens CASA.
“Tara is the mastermind behind it all,” Carly Ferguson, one of the organization’s volunteer coordinators, said. “She’s doing the website, she’s making sure we have jingle bells, she’s making sure we have someone in all of the stations, so she runs the show.”
The inclusion of jingle bells is only one of the various festive touches on the event.
“People are dressed up in reindeer costumes, Santa costumes, festive outfits,” Huffman said. “We have Santa, hot chocolate, kids crafts in the Eclipse Company Store beforehand while people are registering.”
The race starts at 10 a.m., with volunteers rooting on participants with jingle bells until the last person comes through the finish line.
Described as “a good laugh” and “good fun” by David Young, CASA volunteer, The Reindeer Run is a space to enjoy the holiday spirit at any pace.
“Come out and be ready for a fun time,” Ferguson said. “If you’re a serious runner or if you just want to come walk and let your kids see Santa and drink hot chocolate, I think there’s room for everyone at our event.”
According to Huffman, another one of the main missions of the event is to expose the community to the CASA program, which is primarily volunteer-based.
“They’re the heart of the program,” Huffman said. “We need them, and so (the event is) advertising, recruiting, getting our name out there, showing how much fun we are even though it’s a difficult job to do.”
Young is in his ninth year as a CASA volunteer and has witnessed the massive impact of the program after nearly a decade.
“How I describe the CASA is the person that is giving that child a constant, an ear and a voice, a constant variable,” Young said. “You’re in it for the long haul. (I’ve spent) five years with one of my cases and I am easily the only constant that kid has had the entire time he’s been in the system.”
Although the work can be emotional and demanding, especially for volunteers with full-time commitments outside of the program, the victories shared by volunteers and children are incredibly rewarding.
“They’re not a social worker, they’re not a caseworker … (a CASA) looks at a child like a child and not like a caseload, then you see so many better outcomes for these children and families,” Ferguson said.
The organizers of the Reindeer Run hope the event encourages potential volunteers to join the meaningful program. As one of the only kid-friendly 5K runs in Athens, the event also represents the organization's mission of uplifting the children of Athens County.
“It’s just really wonderful that we can get together and we can have festive cheer and work on pulling those people in and showing them how wonderful this program really is,” Ferguson said.
Participants can register on the event’s website in advance or day-of at the Eclipse Company Store starting around 9 a.m. The proceeds from the event will go back to the program and subsequently to the children in need, from supplying volunteers with gas vouchers to providing birthday gifts for children in the system.
“(The Reindeer Run) continues the ability for us to be able to recruit volunteers, have volunteers, support volunteers, support children,” Huffman said.
