Raleigh Fall Festival 5k and 10k

This past Sunday, over 500 runners raced from beautiful Nash Square through the streets of downtown Raleigh in the 2011 Raleigh Fall Festival 5K and 10K, formally known as the Old Reliable Run. This year, the event benefited the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle and raised over $12,500 to feed hungry people in the Triangle! Some of the Food Shuttle’s board members and staff decided to join in the fun, too!  Congratulations to Board member Andy Cook for winning his age group! Thank you to Melanie Reeve, our board chair, for leading the charge, John Walser for bringing Raleigh Fall Festival to the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, and to Dan Thompson for helping to make it happen. Thanks also to our staff and volunteers who worked so hard on Sunday! IFFS Board Member Judge Keith Gregory, Board Member Dan Thomson, Vanna Fox of WRAL-FM, IFFS CEO and Co-Founder Jill Staton Bullard, Lynda Loveland of Mix 101.5 WRAL-FM, and New Balance sponsor (not pictures but present: Board Members Molly Casey, Board Member Joe Philipose, who volunteered, and Board Member Greg Norton and his wife, who both ran)

Katherine Moser, Nutrition Outreach Coordinator, Americorps VISTA, Lauren Hart, Cooking Matters Americorps Member, Randall Kerr, Lynda Loveland of Mix 101.5 WRAL-FM's Bill & Lynda in the morning show, IFFS Board member Andy Cook and his wife, Karen Cook

IFFS Board Members Becky Smith and Dan Jacobs

IFFS Chef Will Hall sprinting to the finish!

Thanks to Mix 101.5 WRAL-FM for being our media sponsor!  Lynda Loveland of Mix 101.5 WRAL-FM’s Bill & Lynda in the morning show  ran in the 5k as did a team from the Mix 101.5 Crew, who has partnered with us  in conducting a very successful food drive for our Backpack Buddies program in the past.  Thanks also to Ardie Gregory for her leadership, as well as to Jami Elizondo and Jenny Clements for their support! We also want to thanks Vanna Fox for all she does for the Food Shuttle!

Lynda Loveland sprinting toward the finish to win her age group!

Mix 101.5 WRAL-FM team: Lynda Loveland, Allison Smith, Stephen Smith, Jami Elizondo, Brett Elizondo, Vanna Fox, Randall Kerr

Vanna Fox of WRAL-FM, scapegoat, and IFFS Communications Director Melissa Hartzell

Thanks to Grifols for being our presenting sponsor. Grifols had a huge team of employees and friends at the race on Sunday.  Talecris has also been a terrific partner through both sponsorships and volunteers. Thanks especially to Sherry Hanicuff!  We look forward to continuing this tradition with Grifols.

Group from Grifols!

Over 1,000 people came out to support IFFS, running in the 5K, 10K, the Kid’s Dash, cheering on their friends and family, and volunteering.  Thanks to everyone who came out to the event and showed their support!

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Thank you to NC Races, Butch Robertson and his team for managing the race again this year. We launched a new tradition - Raleigh Fall Festival - built on the legacy of The OldReliable Run!

Check out more picture of Raleigh Fall Festival on our Facebook or Flickr!

You can also watch the start of each race on our YouTube channel!