Race for the Cure, a 1/2 Day of Service

A month ago, President Henry B. Eyring of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’ First Presidency, gave members a challenge to perform a day of service. When I read about the challenge in the next day’s Sunday Salt Lake Tribune, I knew that my day of service would be helping out at the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure. I had already signed up to participate the day before the race, helping out in Individual Packet Pick-up.

I took the day off from work as a vacation day. Being a Friday, it was tempting to just stay home and enjoy a rare sunny and warm day. Finally, it felt like May. But I had given my word, so I got on the bus. Within the hour, I got off Trax downtown. I went to McDonald’s first. I decided to have lunch before I went to “work”. My niece, Mo has a birthday at the end of June and I wanted to give her a gift card from McDonald’s. (See my post “Pennies & Spare Change – March 26, 2011). I still had time before I had to check in, so I walked The Gateway and got my exercise in for the day. It was still tempting to just keep walking and even shop; it was such a nice sunny day.

Just before 12:30, I headed for the Union Pacific depot at the Gateway to check in. After I received my assignment of giving pre-registered participants their t-shirts and bibs, I met some employees from Goldman Sachs who had been there since 8 or 9am. I was told that Goldman Sachs encourages their employees to do a day of community service. The employees have a list to choose from and these four or more employees chose the Race for the Cure. One of the employees stayed after I left, he was waiting for his wife. When I heard what Goldman Sachs was doing, I was impressed. I wish more employers were like this.

Before I left, I had to check out the booths. I was a bit disappointed that I could not find any Breast Cancer Awareness bookmarks. I like to stick the bookmarks in the books I check out at the library. Who knows, the next reader might benefit from the information on the bookmark. But I did manage to buy some Komen merchandise before I left. So who will get the hot pink boa I bought? I can see someone wearing it while participating in a 3 Day walk or another race.