On Thursday, Nov. 28, Jesuit High School Sacramento will be participating in the annual Run to Feed the Hungry event, hosted by the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services (SFBFS).

Administrative Assistant for the Office of Service & Justice and Campus Ministry Mrs. Tina Bernardi enjoyed participating in her first run last year. 

“The overall experience is amazing,” Mrs. Bernardi said. “I did my first one last year. I’ve watched it in the past, so I actually got to participate this last year. There are two different races. There’s a 5K and a 10K. The 10K is timed. They start a little bit earlier because they’re faster. So that way they’re out of the way, basically. And then the 5K is a walk or run. And then they actually give out rewards to the top three men and the top three women for each of those two races.”

The thousands of runners that take part in the race are sponsored by the registration fees. SFBFS  uses these fees to distribute donations to individuals and families all around Sacramento. In addition to the fees, many of the donations are collected through the registration process itself. 

“They also collect donations,” Mrs. Bernardi said. “When you register, there is a spot that says you can do just a donation. Then they encourage every racer to actually advertise and donate in their name. So it’s actually a nice little form, and it just goes out to them. And then they use those funds for buying what the food bank needs, to help supplement any other donations of food, et cetera.”

As SFBFS has grown over the years, they’ve been able to distribute more food to the community. Last year, SFBFS distributed 37.9 million pounds of food, equivalent to 31.6 million meals. The organizers reported that 2023’s event raised over $1 million to fund the Sacramento Food Bank. Jesuit specifically raised $588, putting them among the top 30 teams who ran in the event. 

But most importantly, the Run to Feed the Hungry embodies the  gold standard by which all Marauders live: being a “Man for Others.” Signups for Jesuit’s team are open until Friday, Nov. 22 – participating is a great way to make a difference!