My name is Goldei Limbaugh and I am a domestic violence survivor. I am also the Founder and Race Director of Jingle Jam 10K. I want to say, “Thank you.”
Thank you to Aimee Hall, Ruthie Garcia, Jennifer Frantom and Megan Eppenbrock. Your support through Safehomes is immeasurable. Thank you for believing in us and supporting our race.
Thank you to all our sponsors. We would not be able to provide runners swag, finish line refreshments or prizes without you. Very special thank you to Rebekah Edwards of Rosewater Spa, Susan Johnson of Windsor Jewelers, and Rachel Tesch of Rachel Tesch Photography. They have supported and sponsored every Jingle Jam 10K since our inaugural race in 2011. Thank you for 13 years of unimaginable generosity.
Thank you to our volunteers and our entertainment. Thank you for stuffing bags, passing out water, and for picking up trash. Thank you for hand-sewing jingle bells on our medals. Thank you for holding signs, cheering, high-fiving, dancing and playing for our Jingle Jammers. This is the heart and soul of JJ10K, our “jam,” if you will. Thank you for motivating our runners and joining our cause to end domestic violence.
Special recognition to the Garden City Chorus, they have entertained our Jingle Jammers since our first race. It’s only fitting these talented gentlemen will sing the national anthem for our last race. Whether it was below 30° in the freezing cold or 65° and pouring down rain, the Garden City Chorus serenaded our jingle jammers. Thank you for sharing your talent.
I want to thank Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Apple. Thank you for remembering our race every year even when we forgot. Thank you for your warmth. Thank you, Nora, for joining us as we celebrated your husband’s life during last year‘s race. Thank you both for keeping Christmas magic alive.
Thank you, Kenny Buddy the Elf, for reminding us that the best way to spread Christmas cheer is to sing as obnoxiously loud as possible for all to hear. Thank you for your charisma, for being our unofficial mascot and thank you for your support of Jingle Jam 10K.
Thank you to our in-person and virtual runners, our Jingle Jammers. Thank you for embracing our little road race. Thank you for wearing snowflake fairy costumes, running as elves, dressing up as Christmas trees and lacing up those jingle bells! Thank you for wearing our JJ10K gear! I love seeing JJ10K and Safehomes’ logos around town. Jingle Jammers who have moved away yet come back to run JJ10K: thank you for “coming home” to join us. It is truly heartwarming how much y’all love this race. Lastly, thank you for running our race. It is through RUNNER REGISTRATIONS that we are able to give a monetary gift to Safehomes every year.
Jingle Jam 10K is, always has been, completely volunteer-driven. I want to say thank you to my friends and Safehomes volunteers who answered a meeting request for a 10K road race fundraiser in January 2011. Thank you, Carrie, for answering that email request and for coming to a stranger’s house. Carrie, you are the voice of reason and the backbone of JJ10K. “Deez jokez” will be missed. Thank you, Hilary, for accepting your boss’ invitation to join an organization that would cause you so much stress you ended up in the emergency room. (She was FINE, by the way.) Yet you come back to volunteer with us every year. It never ceases to amaze me how much you love this race and the passion you carry for the victims and survivors of domestic violence. Thank you, Kelsey, for helping us organize the chaos. Your humor and willing to do anything attitude is exactly what our team needs when we all wanna scream, cry, and throw up. Always one to look at the bright-side or at least make us laugh about it. And thank you, Kris, for finally joining our board after emceeing our event for 9 years. (Like seriously why did it take so long?)
Thank you for working so hard all year long. Thank you for sharing the high times and comforting each other during the low times. Thank you for being my friends. Thank you for being my family. Thank you for sharing not just JJ10K but over a decade of your lives and milestones. I treasure these relationships and I really love y’all. And we don’t need to worry – the “Backyard Bandit” will never be forgotten.
Many thanks to Chris Harrison for being “the guy.” I will always be grateful to you and everything you have done for JJ10K.
Thank you to my husband, Brent. Thank you for allowing us to make our home JJ10K headquarters for the past 13 years. Thank you for being our day laborer during packet pick up and logistics on race day. Thank you for turning my insecurities into strength. Thank you for loving someone with complex post-traumatic stress disorder.
Finally, what I hold most dear is the healing that Jingle Jam 10K has given me. The aftereffects of my physical and emotional abuse will be something I have to carry for the rest of my life. Jingle Jam 10K has shown me that we do not have to carry this burden alone.
Victims can become survivors, Survivors can find healing from their abuse, And we will always remember and celebrate the angels that we have lost to domestic violence and abuse.
Thank you for the journey.
Love,
Goldei
