Photos courtesy Orion FCU
Orion Federal Credit Union will be hosting the Orion 5K on June 8th at 7 p.m. in downtown Memphis. For 21 years, the organization was called the Gibson Guitar 5K. In 2017, Gibson made some changes and returned to their Nashville headquarters, and Orion FCU generously stepped up last year as the title sponsor.
Last year, the company hosted 2,000 people in downtown Memphis as part of the Mtown Series races. “We hope to be bigger and better this year,” says marketing director Casey Condra. As a reward, Orion will be offering $500 in prize money to each youth/kid category winner to be donated to a charity of their choice; their way of teaching philanthropy and demonstrating how all Memphians can give back. The winning runners ages 9 & under, 10 to 14, and 15 to 19 in both the male and female divisions will be awarded the $500 prizes. There will be three males winners and three female winners. Proceeds from the race benefit St. Patrick’s Community Outreach food pantry.
“My opinion of this is — it’s brilliant," says race director, WMC Action News 5's Joe Birch. "Memphis consistently leads this nation in philanthropic giving. Anything we can do as a community to encourage, foster, and show youngsters how charitable giving is in their enlightened self-interest is inspired, indeed! We are very grateful for the generous spirit that Orion Federal Credit Union has showered on St. Patrick Community Outreach and so many other great Memphis charitable and community building causes."
The Orion 5K for St. Patrick Community Outreach has a great purpose: to feed hungry children and families who live in dire poverty in our community. While most of us can go to the supermarket and buy what we need, most of organization’s clients live in poverty and need help after food stamps run out.
St. Patrick Community Outreach operates the city’s largest emergency food bank at Pontotoc and 4th Street. They also run the Green Machine Mobile Food Market that sells healthy food at cost in neighborhoods where healthy food choices are non-existent. They even operate a Sunday Soup Kitchen 52 Sundays a year, with the last Sunday of the month featuring “More Than A Meal,” a sit-down dinner served with a lot of tender, loving care. “That’s the purpose of the event and why it’s important," says Birch, who has acted as race director since the charity 5K started in June 1997. "Without the funds raised at the Orion 5K, we simply couldn’t afford to do this good work.”
An average of 2,000 runners participate in the race and thousands of spectators cheer them on. Participants and their families are invited to the post-race party that features a Kids' Zone, food, drinks, and live music. “It’s a big party," Birch says, "and the spirit of fun and giving permeates the Orion 5K — that’s my favorite part of our fun event."
To register, or for more information, visit orion5k.racesonline.com.
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