UW-Gren Bay neighbor, Freedom House, to host 12th annual thanksgiving run to help homeless
Freedom House Board Member Sara Helgeson and her husband Jason will host the 12th Annual Mash Dash on Thanksgiving morning in an effort to raise awareness of the homeless issue in the Green Bay area. The Mash Dash is a 2-mile Run/Walk on the city’s eastsidein the Bay Highlands neighborhood. The event also offers a ½ mile Kids Run. Thanks to the generosity of many friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues, this event continues to grow each year. The run or walk is open to all ages and abilities, no registration necessary but the couple is asking for donations for Freedom House, a 16-room shelter serving all types of homeless families with children. Participants who want to donate items can go to freedomhouseministries.org/donate to see the updated Needs List. Prevea Circle of Giving will match all cash donations up to $500.
“Exercise prior to gorging yourself on Turkey Day is a ‘good thing;’ hanging out with family, friends and neighbors on Turkey Day is a ‘great thing,'” said UW-Green Bay alumnus Jason Helgeson, who serves as race organizer. “Donating an item in need to those less fortunate is an ‘awesome thing.'” he said when asked why he and his wife decided to host a Thanksgiving Day run/walk. “We’re just a local family trying to help out a neighbor.”
The Race start and finish line is in front of 1517 Creekside Lane in Bay Highlands on Green Bay’s East side, just 2 miles west of the shelter. The 1/2-mile Kids Run starts at 9 a.m. and the 2-mile Mash Dash starts at 9:15 a.m. Each finisher will receive a warm bowl of mashed potatoes, what better way to kickoff Thanksgiving Day?
“This event is a great example of families helping families. After all, the sole focus of Freedom House is on families,” said Jessica Diederich, President of Freedom House. “We are thankful for the support of the community and people like Jason and Sara who actively participate in solutions to end homelessness in Brown County.”
Freedom House Ministries, Inc. is a 16-room homeless shelter in Green Bay that serves all types of families with children, the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. The not for profit organization was started in 1992 by a handful of concerned individuals to address the growing issue of homelessness. Its vision is to provide programs that cause families to be successful in all areas of their lives – spiritually, emotionally, socially, physically, financially and intellectually. Since its inception, Freedom House has served nearly 1,800 families and more than 3,600 children in the Northeastern Wisconsin area. www.freedomhouseministries.org.
