ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
The Christmas holidays are right around the corner, and next week, a pair of local entities will be teaming up to help make things brighter for local children.
KSCB-The Legend and the Knights of Columbus are teaming up for a 5K run/walk that will be taking place Saturday, Dec. 6 at Blue Bonnet Park. Registration will begin at 10 a.m., with everything officially starting at 10:30 a.m., and the entry fee is a toy for the Knights' Toys For Tots campaign.
Coordinator Joe Denoyer said the inspiration for the event came rather quickly.
“We'd seen the success of the motorcycle Toys For Tots runs, and I coached the Liberal High School cross country team this fall, so it was a situation where we thought 'Let's do a literal Toys For Tots run,' and it spawned from there,” Denoyer said. “I've also worked with Todd Bradley and the other Knights for several years with other events and programs, so it's great to be able to do this for them as well because children need Christmas, and it's great seeing that spark and magic in their eyes. After the idea bloomed, I looked at the calendar and didn't see any other similar events for that day. It's also the same day as the Downtown Christmas Parade, so I thought, why not throw it all together and make a whole day for everyone? People can start with the Toys For Tots 5K, then take in any pre-parade entertainment that will be going on and then end the day with the parade and seeing all of that. We wanted this to be something where everyone is invited to spend the day in Liberal.”
With Christmas being close, Denoyer said he hopes to see a lot of donations for Toys For Tots.
“It'll be really fun, and we're starting things late enough that if you want to sleep in, you can, but it's still in the morning, so it shouldn't really affect any other plans,” Denoyer said. “We're hoping things will be relatively comfortable for everyone weather-wise, but we do plan on having hot chocolate for everyone at the finish line, and all the donations are going toward a great cause. We've all been at that point at some time when we weren't entirely sure where Christmas would come from, and this is a great way to help some children in the community have a brighter Christmas they might not otherwise have. We're hoping to have really good turnout. I know the Eisenhower Middle School band just made a donation to the Toys For Tots from their music concert, and we want to add onto that so children in the community can have a nice Christmas. I also have several medals to give out to all the participants, so come out and spend the day with family and friends and have some fun.”
And for those who are unable to make it to the event, Denoyer said they can still support the efforts.
“If someone can't make it to the run, they can bring their donation – whether it's toys or monetary – to the KSCB-The Legend station at 1410 N. Western Ave., and we'll make sure everything gets to the Knights of Columbus,” Denoyer said. “The Knights will be distributing the toys the weekend after we do our event, so anytime prior to that, people are welcome to bring their donations to the station and we'll be happy to pass everything on. The Knights are great to work with, I've worked with them for a long time on many different events and programs. I know the Harbingers Motorcycle Club teamed up with them this year, and I know the Knights used to work with the Harley Owners Group before them for the Toys For Tots. They're a great group, and we're more than willing to work with them for such a good cause.”
Overall, Denoyer said, he is excited to see how that day ultimately goes.
“It's the holidays, and what better place to spend the holiday season then in Liberal? The Downtown Christmas Parade that evening should be great, especially since this is its 25th anniversary, and there are already lights and other decorations starting to make the town bright,” Denoyer said. “We're encouraging anyone and everyone to come out for this, you don't have to be a seasoned runner or anything like that – if you want to just walk, that's more than okay, or whatever you want to do. This is all about bringing the community together for a good cause and help some people who are in need. There's also a local walk/run group that will be bringing a big inflatable start/finish arch, so we're doing everything right. Support local – whether it's an event like this, or a parade, or something similar, I encourage everyone to stay local. This is our community, so let's do what we can to make it great.”
