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Thousands woke up early Thanksgiving morning, braved the rainy and cold weather and headed to Freedom Plaza in D.C. to take part in The Trot for Hunger. This is So Others Might Eat‘s 23rd year hosting the 5K.
“Today was an amazing day. I mean, we had over 7,000 people show up in the rain,” said SOME Chief Development Officer Don DuChateau. “We are close to making our goal of $1 million to help those in need here in the D.C. area.”
The money raised Thursday goes to more than just providing food to those in need.
“We have almost 2,000 housing units here in D.C., behavioral health clinics throughout the city, medical clinics from cardiology to podiatry, available for our clients here,” DuChateau said.
Three weeks ago SOME opened its renovated location at 60 O St. NW.
“New showers, real dignified spaces for our clients to come and enjoy a hot meal,” DuChateau said.
With people running around him in the cold rain, DuChateau stood in the middle of Pennsylvania Avenue and explained how this day felt for SOME’s staff.
“It puts in perspective why we do what we do. The people we serve live in this environment every day,” DuChateau said.
One person with a big smile on their face was Zachary Madsen. The high school senior from Houston, Texas, was the first to cross the finish line in the earlier race. Madsen ran in the Trot for Hunger along with his mother and father, while his sister, a George Washington University student, stayed home.
“She had to sleep in. She’s more of a theater actor than a runner,” Madsen said.
The 17-year-old runs cross-country and track at his high school. It was only two weeks ago that a health scare caused him to miss the state cross-country competition.
“I actually got a pneumothorax, so my lung collapsed and I couldn’t run,” Madsen said.
It took Madsen 16 minutes and 38 seconds to complete the 5K, which was no surprise to his father Chris.
“Since he turned 8, I haven’t been able to hang with him,” Chris Madsen said. “It was a very sad day.”
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