Even in the drenching rainstorm, Mercy Ministries Nashville residents had a blast cheering for their Run for Mercy team this past weekend at the Country Music Marathon and Half Marathon in Nashville! A total of 60 runners and walkers for Team Mercy joined more than 32,000 people in the half and full marathons that began at Centennial Park and wound through Music City. Many people thanked the Mercy girls for their spirited cheers as they served as an encouragement to everyone crossing the finish line! This year our team raised a total of $20,000!!As a way to say thank you for Team Mercy’s support, participants received a goody bag that included a Run for Mercy shirt, a pair of sports socks, protein bars, coupons for local restaurants and more!
Babs Murray, a half marathon participant, had this to say about race day:
“I am so glad that I got the opportunity to run for such a great cause like Mercy. I hope that God will continue to bring supporters to this ministry so that they can continue to share the life Jesus offers to girls who are in need.”
The night before the race Mercy graduates, volunteers and residents all gathered for a pre-race pasta party at the Mercy Nashville home. While touring the rooms, everyone had an opportunity to enjoy a fruit smoothie, compliments of 9 Fruits, and several local sponsors including Zoe’s Kitchen, Trader Joe’s and Party City donated refreshments and decorations. During dinner, graduate Georgianna Estell shared her testimony of freedom with the group, and several runners and walkers shared their own words of encouragement.
Here is what a few of the residents had to say about supporting the Run for Mercy team:
Katelynn said, “I loved cheering everyone on. It reminded me of how our supporters, counselors and Mercy staff cheer us on while we are in the program. It was so fun.”
Amanda said, “Cheering for the Run for Mercy team was super fun! I loved watching the runners finish with enthusiasm because they reached their goal. It was such a blessing to see our team run in support of us.”
A big thanks to our top individual sponsor, Mark Black, and our top team sponsor, Team Exodus of Exodus Health Center in Nashville. Many people are committing their resources and time to support the work of Mercy Ministries as runners, sponsors, and volunteers at our Run for Mercy events across the U.S. You still have an opportunity to lace up your sneakers and support Mercy as an individual runner or by joining a team. Register online at www.runformercy.org.
