Step-Up! Meals on Wheels of Hillsborough County 2nd Annual 5K Run/Walk 2021

Short review

Step-Up for Meals on Wheels of Hillsborough County in NH!

RACE/COVID Updates: Updated May 18, 2021. Due to the relaxation of COVID guidelines, we do not have to stagger start times. The run/walk will begin at   9:00 AM.  Runners will be started together at a distance of 6' from each other. The city of Nashua still has a mask mandate in place so while masks will not be required while running or walking, they are still required if you can't socially distance.  Emails will be sent the week of May 23rd with further details.

We are excited to welcome you to the 2nd Annual Step-Up 5K Run-Walk! Mine Falls Park is a fantastic venue and a new one for Meals on Wheels of Hillsborough County (MOWHC) aka St. Joseph Community Services, so we are excited to host runners and walkers alike! The trails are amazing and offer a wonderful 5K route as well as beautiful 3K walking trails so that walkers will enjoy this day just as much. This year we have also added a 5K Virtual Event to allow those who cannot attend in person to participate! 

If you do plan to attend, bring your families and friends! This is such a great opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, get out in the community, and support a phenomenal cause all at the same time!

Giveaways: Your race registration (for both runners and walkers, day-of and virtual) will include: 

                      •   2021 Step-Up T-shirt: (must register before April 28th to be guaranteed a t-shirt). T-shirts for day-of attendees must be picked up at the                                              event. Virtual attendees must pick up their shirts at the MOWHC Administrative Office in Merrimack beginning the week after the event.

                      •   Swag Bag: Day-of attendees must pick up their bags at the event. Virtual attendees must pick up their bags at the MOWHC Administrative Office                                            beginning the week after the event.

Early Bird Discount: Please note our discounted early bird registration period runs through May 7th, 2021.  We are also offering a discount of $5 for children 12 and under. 

Teams: If you would like to create a team, you can do so during the registration process. If you prefer not to register for the event but would like to donate, fundraise individually, or fundraise as a team, you can do so by going directly to the donate tab at the top of the page.

ABOUT US

Meals on Wheels delivers. It's a name you know...and a name you trust...to provide nutritious meals, wellness checks, and resources to your Mom, your Dad, your homebound and disabled loved ones. More, it is a name that they trust - to be at their door every day, providing a meal and a smile, and the assurance that someone will be there for them, even if friends and family can't, or they have nobody who can.

Since opening its doors in 1977,  Meals on Wheels of Hillsborough County has served more than 14 million meals, and today we are providing an average of 7,300 meals a week to our older and homebound neighbors throughout Hillsborough County, NH. With those nutritious meals come wellness checks, resources, care/concern follow-up calls and connection to the community.

There has been no greater testament to the MOWHC mission, and the spirit of community it invokes, than our ongoing commitment to continued services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our meals have been delivered thus far without interruption--our drivers, truly essential workers for the hungry and isolated older adults so vulnerable to the virus, are going out every day to ensure these folks receive a meal and a social connection, either through safe distance wellness checks or by phone. And with the help of dozens of additional community volunteers, we have delivered thousands of extra emergency meals in case of a disruption in services. To help us provide safe delivery, the community has stepped up to provide over a thousand homemade cloth masks, as well as gloves, wipes and hand sanitizer.

But, COVID-19 has hit us hard in many ways - we had to cancel Step-Up last year and our fall fundraiser, Smokin' Wheels, resulting in lost revenue; our meal costs have skyrocketed because of the switch to frozen and cooked-chilled meals (required in order to avoid close proximity in meal packing and preparation); and the need for food and social connection in older adults has increased exponentially. In order to keep providing our services into a future which is uncertain, we need your help, now more than ever. Please join us for our 2021 Step-Up, by either registering or donating, and help us meet the challenge as more people reach out to us for services. They will receive so much more than a meal!