#24 The Great Human Race

#24 was the Great Human Race to benefit the Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education.  Located on Montgomery Road near the Kenwood neighborhood, it promotes tolerance, inclusion and social justice based on lessons from the Holocaust.  

This was only the 4th Annual race for this event, so the number of participants was relatively small.

I walked with Jo and my daughter, Lauren, who insisted on coming because her friend, Steven Anderson, helped develop an online exhibit for the Center. It can be viewed here: Worthy of a Voice: People with Disabilities during the Holocaust

Lauren has read Anne Frank's diary.  She was horrified to learn about the mass slaughter of people under the Nazis. She wanted to walk, "because it was important" she said.

I informed her that this walk would have no doughnuts or tequila shots in the middle of it, like a previous walk (See #20 FatAss5K).  She just rolled her eyes and mumbled something about "my mom is a dork" 

All righty then.  Let's go.

The walk meandered around the Kenwood neighborhood surrounding the Center.  And again we were just steps ahead of the final police car, returning the streets to normalcy after the race had completed.  We did managed to place ahead of the man carrying the toddler and the two other strollers groups.  They weren't going to gain on us, no sir.  Lauren did keep up with us and only required dousing with the water bottle 3 times.

She perked up considerably when Rocky appeared in the neighborhood about 300 hundred yards from the finish and encouraged her to run as she crossed the finish line.  

In the gathering area after the race, awards were distributed and food was plentiful. The organizers recognized many larger groups including several congregations from area synagogues.  (I was tempted to claim to be representing a group from All Saints Parish, but after re-thinking ...realized this was poor form.) They were generous in their thanks as this event helps to support various educational programs about inclusion for school-aged children.   

A fitting reminder that no matter the speed or the impact, or the significance or the size, we all have a contribution to make and a story to tell.

That morning, as we stumbled across the finish line ahead of four toddler groups, we were ahead of everybody else still at home on the couch.

On to brunch....bacon awaits.