5K

No, not a five thousand dollar year end bonus for all my hard work and dedication to my students. It was a 5 kilometer run in the town of Indianola, 45 minutes south of Shelby, sponsored by another TFA member. G... who is finishing his second year and attending DSU for a masters in community development next year raised money and organized a community event. While the attendance was dominated by supportive TFA'ers a sufficient number of townfolk came out as well.

The youngsters went first, running about a half mile shepherded by myself and some friends. The age range was from 8-12 and with wild flare in their eyes they sprinted off the starting line only to be tired out by the end of the block. Lack of exercise, poor diet, and no concept of pace destroyed what was furious speed and the apparition of dedication. We pushed and prodded yelling compliments and motivational words until all the kids crossed the finish line.

There were only about 25 of us running the race, all TFA and some track kids that were coached by a fellow teacher. There is no shortage of motivation and dedication by these teachers (community organizers, coaches, after school tutoring and club directors) all the while bearing the burden of a challenging and unrelenting environment. We had a good time and after the race was over we enjoyed delectable Delta fare; country fried (chicken that is), mac n' cheese, mashed potatoes and sweet tea. By the way, if you have never had sweet tea it is delicious, absolutely one of my favorite beverages. Regular ole iced tea supersaturated with sugar, mmmm...sweet tea. There's nothing better on a hot Delta day.

With the grant money G... had obtained he was able to supply the food and live music for two and a half hours. The kids ran around jumping and dancing while locals came out of the woodwork to enjoy a relaxing afternoon in the sun. Communities need these types of events and they need people to organize and support them. The vibrance and positivity was refreshing. I was inspired by G...'s construction of the event and I plan to host a similar activity in Shelby next year. My friends from around the Delta have commented on how particularly dilapidated Shelby is and I would love to organize an event that will bring camaraderie and joy to the community.