Countdown to the Crim: A Volunteer’s Perspective

About a decade ago I was asked if I wanted to be a part of the volunteer team at the mile 5 water station on the course of the famous Crim 10-mile race in Flint. It sounded fun so I agreed, and it was the start of a personal tradition.

Getting up before dawn on a Saturday in August to set up tables, put up signs and fill water cups for thousands of racers is hard work. But then the races start, and the first Saturday morning race each year is the “Wheelers” division race. This race is made up of wheelchair-bound folks who, after already racing for almost five miles, take on a steep hill and conquer it just before reaching our water stop. At that point, the inspiration received is worth the hard work you’ve given that morning. Then comes the feature race with world-class runners in the lead followed by thousands of racers ranging from first-time runners to longtime veterans – and thousands of thank-yous to the helpers.

As years passed, I became more involved with Crim events. I worked at Expo booths, took on more water station lead duties and took the role of station captain. In fact, handing out water on a Crim race day was my two daughters’ very first volunteer experience, and they’ve been avid volunteers since.

Today, as a HAP employee, I’m gladly helping out with the 2017 HAP Crim Festival of Races finish line festivities and looking forward to keeping my own Crim volunteerism streak going. If you’re interested in being a festival volunteer or racer, visit crim.org for details. If you’re a rookie, don’t worry – the Crim program values everyone and makes first-time runners and helpers want to come back for more every year! 

HAP members, there’s still time to sign up for the Crim’s 5K, 8K and 10 mile courses. Don’t forget you have a discount to register! Log in to your hap.org account and select “Member Events” in the “My Health and Wellness” tab to get the discount code.