Thu
Sep 2 2010
05:41 pm
Help my Priest Kiss a Pig
By: Pam Strickland

I'm the Captain for Team St. James for the Volunteer Ministry Center's 13th Annual 5K Race/Walk on Saturday, Oct. 2. It's $20 per person to be a participant or a supporter. Participants can run in the 5K, walk the 5K, or walk a mile. Children can participate in the Kid's Fun Run. Or, like me, you can just be a supporter. You must fill out one form per supporter and supporters can be dogs and cats. Registration deadline is Sept. 15.

For those of you who don't know, VMC is a nonprofit on Broadway in Knoxville, just a few blocks from my church, St. James Episcopal, that helps the homeless find their way out of their life on the streets and into permanent supportive housing. VMC provides a number of services including three meals a day to those who are still homeless and medical and psychiatric care, helping their clients reconnect with estranged family and to take steps toward giving up drugs and alcohol.

Doing all that takes money, and this race is one of the ways that they raise money each year. St. James has traditionally been one of the churches to raise the most money by having the most registered runners and supporters, although we've backslide a bit the last couple of years.

But this year if we reach 175 registered runners or supporters, our rector, Father John Mark Wiggers, will KISS A PIG on the morning of the race. That's right, he's accepted a challenge posed by St. James parishioner and VMC Executive Director, Ginny Weatherstone, who also is going to kiss that same pig if the overall goal of raising $30,000 is reached.

So if you'd like to help with the St. James goal or just with the overall goal, go here to get a pdf of the entry form.

If you want to be part of the Team St. James, please mail the form and your check, made out to VMC 5K, to St James Episcopal, 1101 N. Broadway, Knoxville TN 37917. Or get the form(s) to me directly. If you don't want to join Team St. James, but do want to help VMC, the address is on the race form.

If you have any questions, ask.

P.S. I think we can get 200 registered runners/supporters, but JM wanted to play it safe. Help me prove him wrong... ;-)

Topics:
Pam Strickland's picture

As far as I'm concerned this

Submitted by Pam Strickland on Thu, 2010/09/02 - 5:47pm.

As far as I'm concerned this thread is strictly to discuss the good works of VMC. I do not intend to debate the relative merits or demerits of VMC and/or the TYP. Clearly, I'm helping to raise money for them. I support them. They do good things. They help people who need help. And, I believe, there but for the grace of God go I.

R. Neal's picture

Will there be a bar-b-q after

Submitted by R. Neal on Thu, 2010/09/02 - 5:50pm.

Will there be a bar-b-q after the race? :)

Pam Strickland's picture

My guess is no, although the

Submitted by Pam Strickland on Thu, 2010/09/02 - 5:56pm.

My guess is no, although the Father is quite the BBQer. :-)

R. Neal's picture

Amnesty for the pig then it

Submitted by R. Neal on Thu, 2010/09/02 - 6:01pm.

Amnesty for the pig then it is.

fischbobber's picture

"I once had an Uncle that was

Submitted by fischbobber on Thu, 2010/09/02 - 10:32pm.

"I once had an Uncle that was et by pigs..."

Bbeanster's picture

All they found was a boot

Submitted by Bbeanster on Fri, 2010/09/10 - 10:53am.

You knew Uncle Elwood?
He was God's gift to animals. God's gift to pigs, that is.

fischbobber's picture

I was kind of wondering if

Submitted by fischbobber on Fri, 2010/09/10 - 9:58pm.

I was kind of wondering if you were going to catch that. Your brother is a hero of mine.

I heard all they found of Elwood was his shoe.

Pam Strickland's picture

We're Getting Close

Submitted by Pam Strickland on Fri, 2010/09/10 - 12:21am.

As of late Thursday, the official county for Team St. James was 150, just under 86 percent of the 175 needed to ensure that the priest will Kiss A Pig on the morning of the VMC 5K. The deadline for signing up is Sept. 17.

If you are one of those people -- thank you, thank you. If you aren't one of those people, but you want to support the fine work that the folks at Volunteer Ministry Center do in helping the homeless people of Knoxville get healthcare and fine permanent supportive housing, then following the link in my first post in this thread. Don't forget to that your team name is St. James.

Who knows, Team St. James might end up with 200 people after all.

Pam Strickland's picture

Help! We've only got 125

Submitted by Pam Strickland on Tue, 2010/09/14 - 3:26pm.

I learned today that there was a mistake last week in the number we were given as to how many folks had signed up for Team St. James directly with VMC. I've seen the records, and understand how the mistake was made. And although 125 is a goodly number, it's not the 200 we thought we had. So, we need to get rocking.

Yes, we want to meet the challenge and get that pig kissed, but more importantly we want to help VMC in their mission of helping homeless folks get housing and folks in housing stay there.

So, if you were thinking about supporting the cause and hadn't gotten around to it, nowentry form is the time to step up. Here's where you can get an entry form. You can mail it directly to VMC -- the deadline for church teams has been extended to noon Monday, Sept. 20. I'll be glad to come pick it up, if that's what needs to be done to get it there on time.

If you have any questions, I'll try to answer. Most important, you can be a supporter and you don't even have to show up.

Pam Strickland's picture

183

Submitted by Pam Strickland on Sun, 2010/09/19 - 4:39pm.

That's our unofficial total as of Noon today. So the pig will get a smooch.

More important is this means that Team St. James has raised $3,660 for Volunteer Ministry Center.

You can still join in the fun, by coming out the morning of the race on Saturday, Oct. 2 at World's Fair Park. But it will cost you $25. It's for a good cause though, and you'll have lots of fun.

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