FLINT, Mich.—Fifteen thousand runners come from all over the world to run in the Bobby Crim Road Race, and members of South Baptist Church of Flint are there to hand them water.
The Crim is the third-largest 10 mile race in the country, so the city goes to great lengths to make their community look good. Every August, South Baptist Church ministers to the thousands of runners by sponsoring a water station, the church’s way of showing God’s love in a practical way to their community.
Cliff and Natalie Stokes organized the event this year, encouraging people from the church to be involved, gathering supplies, and organizing the set up and clean up. Early on the morning of the race, members of South Baptist arrived at their designated spot at the fourth mile marker. Putting on their Jesus Cares t-shirts, the church members began filling thousands of cups of water.Volunteers set up tables along the race route and and stacked cups of water, then waited by the side of the road for the first runners to appear.
Sandi Velat passes a cup of water to a runner in the Bobby Crim Road Race.
Stretching out their arms with cups of water, the volunteers handed each cup to the runners, who do not break stride as they pass the tables. With no time for the workers to even turn around once the first wave of runners comes down the street, another row of volunteers passes additional cups to the front.
“I look forward to seeing the ‘Jesus Cares’ shirts every year,” one runner said. Other runners say “Thanks” or “Praise the Lord” as they grab their water and keep running.
