Run, Walk or Roll draws record crowd

By Jeff Harrison
Midwest City Beacon

Mid-Del Group Home invited people to run, walk, or roll on Saturday morning at Joe B. Barnes Regional Park.
And the community responded.

More than 160 people took part in the annual Run, Walk or Roll for Independence fundraiser. The event included a 5k and one mile fun run on the paved recreational trail.

“We had more than twice as many people as we’ve had in the past which was awesome,” said Joel Bain, director of Mid-Del Group Home.

Bradford Gildon won the 5k race in a time of 21:14. Dane Griffith was second (22:36) and Dustin Pierce was third (25:10). Allyssa Gardner won the one-mile fun run. And the top runners from Mid-Del Group Home were: Daniel Harris in first, followed by Tristan Kirk in second, and JJ Self in third.

Several organizations helped with the event. Tegan Malone donated Hurts Donuts, the Midwest City Chamber of Commerce provided bottled water and Crest Food donated bananas and granola bars. FNB Community Bank brought a money grab game for children and Mid-Del Group Home residents. Del City High School JROTC students and Junior Service League of Midwest City members volunteered at the event. Kona Ice and We Got the Munchies food truck were also on site.

“We have such a good outpouring of community support,” Bain said. “They are willing to bend over backwards to help us have a successful event.”

Run, Walk or Roll for Independence is a fundraiser for Mid-Del Group Home. The non-profit organization plans to use the money to purchase a 10-passenger van to help transport residents.

“We use those to take our residents to and from work, doctor appointments, the bank, and all of their fun activities,” Bain said. “We’re just aging out of those. Some of the vans are 15 years old and they have a lot of miles, so we’re trying to replace one a year until we get those all updated.”

It was the fifth year overall for the event and third with the current run/walk/roll format. The event was downsized during the pandemic.