Running with Gratitude for Open Door Mission
For the first time in five years, I was excited to enjoy Thanksgiving Day with friends and family, especially with a childhood tradition of turkey trots. Recalling lovely memories with my father, Dennis, and me racing on Thanksgiving morning, from Moorestown High School to Cooper River Park, I embarked in a race with the Glens Falls Run Club at the Open Door Mission’s Gobble Wobble 5K.
Founded in 1991, Open Door Mission serves more than 3,250 meals a month, with shelters and programs for those affected by homelessness, addiction, and poverty, regardless of race, sexual orientation, creed, national origin, or religion. The director of the organization, Jamie Munyon, had completed a unique challenge in October where he setup a camera by a bench, recording conversations around homelessness for twenty-four hours. The recorded livestream is available on social media, showcasing a broad range of people that are involved in the community. As the Federal administration orchestrates radical changes to social services, the tireless work of helping others becomes even more important. Open Door Mission, along with other non-profit organizations like the Wait House and Salvation Army, continue to become a beacon of hope for those struggling to survive in Glens Falls, New York.
Early on Thursday, I woke up and got dressed in layers due to the frigid temperatures. Lacing up my running shoes and donning gloves, I drove into downtown, parking in the Saint Mary’s parking lot and walked toward Open Door Mission’s building on Warren Street. On my way, I spotted tons of trash littering the sidewalk, making a note to lead a trash pickup in the future. The chilly walk in the early morning on Thanksgiving was delightful, with my mind reminiscing about mornings with father and brother, Tom, before a race. With less than a kilometer to the starting line, Raymond D'Andrea had just parked across the street, exiting his car wearing a brightly colored turkey costume. He would later tell me that this was his first official 5K race. As I neared the building on 226 Warren Street, the crowd was building, the music was blasting. Dozens of volunteers were in the race bib pickup tent, shirt table, and the registration table, helping participants.
After I snagged my race bib and shirt, I saw Michael Ventimiglia wearing the original, burgundy Glens Falls Run Club shirt with a long-sleeved undershirt. He is one of the fastest runners of our group, qualifying for the prestigious Boston Marathon twice and dominating the trails in our area. After he headed to the pickup tent, I chatted with Brian Teague and handed him a Cathy Biss memorial sticker that I brought to the race in her honor. Cathy Biss was an Adirondack Runners board member and active participant in the local community for decades. As her obituary lovingly mentions, "[she] was always in motion, walking, hiking, biking, and swimming — completing hundreds of races and events." I had dozens of stickers printed with her face, name, and life span in my bag, giving them out to various runners before and after the race, like Lee Pollock, Mark Saeger, Lisa Grabbe, Harris Lonergan, and many more. This tragic event certainly illuminates the deeply human condition that tomorrow is promised to no one. We have to always live our lives to the fullest, and for Cathy, that was certainly what she did.
Rashna and Andrew Meunier arrived, with Rashna carrying a large bag of red- and orange-colored tutus for anyone that wanted to have some flair on the course. Erik Sandblom and I decided to wear them, along with Rashna. It certainly complimented the various costumes from the large crowd. Fifteen minutes until the race starting time, the leaders of the Glens Falls Run Club, Alexander Barbieri and Anna Doran, gathered all twenty-five runners in the run club for a group photo, including Trevor’s dog, Dora. The Glens Falls Run Club has had group runs every Tuesday, barring severe weather, at Mean Max since March of 2021, and it has grown in size ever since.
Just before 8:30, everyone started to walk into Warren Street, in-between Open Door Mission and a hydraulic equipment store, as the current director of Open Door Mission, Jamie Munyon, spoke and led everyone in prayer. He then handed the microphone to the soon-to-be director, Reuben Todd, before the race began. Jamie had led the nonprofit for a decade and planned to return to counselling in the community, with Reuben taking up the reigns in December. The incredibly generous, compassionate, and supportive community, along with emergency shelter contracts with Warren County, will ensure that Open Door Mission will continue to be a beacon of hope for homeless and low-income individuals.
The start of the race was a bit constrained as runners and walkers navigated past an 18-wheeler truck that was unable to move after turning onto Warren Street prematurely. The driver had a blast, recording all of us moving by and cheering for everyone. After the constrained crowd opened up past the truck, I surprised my neighbor, Carissa O’Rourke, by tapping her on the shoulder and speeding past her on the left. She caught up quickly afterward and tapped my shoulder with a smile. Heading toward Centennial Circle, we passed the Hyde Collection and World Awareness Children’s museums, staples in the arts community for decades. Cruising around the traffic circle onto Glen Street, the crowds along the sidewalk cheered, along with volunteers wearing safety vests to hold cars until we passed. We turned right, passing the Civil War Monument that was constructed in 1872, onto Bay Street. I noticed that the signs along the course marked kilometers instead of miles, a funny observation given my love of the British audio adventure phone application, Zombies Run.
Along Bay Street, we passed by the local Cumberland Farms convenience store, O’Brien Insurance, the old location of Feigenbaum Cleaners, Cifone Designs, owned by Christine Cifone-Clohosey, Dickinson’s Delights Bakery, and a laundromat before turning right onto Hunter Street. I stopped at the corner to fix the three-kilometer marker sign that had fallen down due to the wind and then continued on my way down the street. Around the two-mile mark, I smiled as a resident blasted the Rocky theme song from a speaker perched on the porch. Nodding to them with my winter Eagles hat, I sped up to Erik Sandblom as we passed the Sagamore Street Park. His wife and him had just moved into Glens Falls from Vermont recently, with his wife, Nancy. She was one of many residents that waved to us along Bay Street from their current home.
The road was ending up ahead as we turned onto Sierra Street, but not before I fist-bumped Kevin Miner while he sipped coffee and cheered the runners. The road descended toward Dix Avenue, where volunteers held back traffic as we crossed to the sidewalk before quickly turning onto Platt Street. We passed by lots of decorated houses, some for Thanksgiving and some for Christmas, before the road descended toward the finish line up ahead. Erik had noticed that my shoe had come untied, but I safely gathered speed to finish the race in under thirty minutes.
Post-exercise euphoria coursing through the crowd, we ate bananas, drank water, and exuded congratulations on finishing the race. The speedy among the crowd got medals by age-group, like Michael Ventimiglia and Lee Pollock, and many more got the feeling of accomplishment. Running three miles, or five kilometers, is not an easy feat for most. It takes dedication, perseverance, and persistence, even when walking, to move through the course. And the charitable race today not only showed everyone’s perseverance but compassion for the community.
After wishing everyone well, I started walking along Warren Street toward Centennial Circle to retrieve my car and drive home. But I did make sure to pick up a few dozen pieces of trash, from empty beer cans to discarded coffee cups, and threw them in a trash can. All it takes is one small act from each of us to clean up our neighborhoods. The rest of the day, I enjoyed the company of my brother-in-law, Gabriel, his wife, Becca, their dog, Luna, and my husband, Michael, for a day filled with football, food, and family. The timeless feelings of gratitude were on my mind throughout the day.
I know that I am eternally grateful for my life. Since last year, my reinvigorated, bearded persona has cultivated a sense of appreciation, confidence, and determination, personally and professionally. The mental health journey that started in September of 2024 has propelled my life into uncharted territory, from running for Glens Falls City Council, freelance writing for Buying Local, and becoming a framed photographer for the Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council. I am excited about the future, a sentiment that was always hard to believe for my overly anxious mind. While we might not know what the future will look like, we can make sure that our present moment is filled with hope, compassion, and community.
This weekend will be filled with nostalgic and community wonder as millions of people will gather and begin the final adventure of Stranger Things. Michael and I will be hosting a watch party on Saturday, inviting dozens of people into our home. I had decorated the walls with lights, feeling like Joyce Byers from the inaugural season of the show, with branded snacks and plenty of comfortable seating in our living room. I am excited to venture back into the world of Hawkins and the Upside Down one last time.
Until then, Happy Thanksgiving!
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This November, my goal is to run thirty-four miles, venturing back to the Mike Nolan 5K in South Glens Falls and the Run for Kids 5K in Hudson Falls, embark on my inaugural participation in the Gobble Wobble 5K, continue running and collecting trash with the Glens Falls Run Club on Tuesday evenings, and enjoy longer trail runs with the Adirondack Runners on the weekends. Each step of the journey will showcase the breath of the unique places in upstate New York and the people that make our community special. This month will not only support the Movember organization but countless other organizations that build resilience and connection, from Open Door Mission, South Glens Falls Faculty Association, Hudson Falls Rotary Club, and the Adirondack Runners. Grow the stache, raise money for charity, and keep opening up about our collective struggles to become a beacon of light for the community.
Movember has helped fund documentaries and online tools to provide guides to overcoming mental hurtles with connection. Their financial assistance with the Ken Burn’s documentary, Hiding in Plain Sight, has illuminated the variety of mental illnesses, like depression, anxiety, and addiction, as well as the treatments available. The Movember Conversations online tool helps instill confidence and knowledge for tackling tough conversations, like heartbreak, isolation, stress, and aging. Created by licensed psychologists, it utilizes basic tenements of connection to allow people to feel heard, share vulnerabilities, and build relationships. The organization continues to sponsor grants for veterans and first-responders as well as workshops to bring people together throughout the world.
Donate to my Movember fundraiser:
