Runners, walkers and volunteers for the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon are offered healthy snacks at the end of the 13.1 mile course. Some participants even respond to the #whyImini social media campaign by answering, “for the free banana at the end of the race.”
But some of the nutritious fruit and other snacks are left untouched when the race is finished and the festivities end. Those healthy treats, which typically include bananas, apples and bottled water, begin a new journey to feed people in our Indianapolis community. When the event ends, Second Helpings is ready and waiting with a refrigerated truck to pick up the extra food.
“We’ve been rescuing items after the race for years. We love delivering those beautiful bananas and apples on Monday to people that might not have access to fresh fruits and snacks each day,” said Nora Spitznogle, director of programs at Second Helpings.
In past years, Second Helpings has picked up hundreds of pounds of food after the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon. This year 1,831 pounds of food were collected after the race.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to see our community partners working together like this to serve our city’s residents,” said Jim Freeman, OneAmerica’s vice president for community affairs. “OneAmerica proudly supports both the 500 Festival and Second Helpings, because both of these organizations are focused on making an impact.”