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Mountain Home Parks and Recreation will host its inaugural Gobble Gallop on Nov. 16 at Cooper Park, combining a holiday fun run with support for local foster children through The CALL.
The event offers both a 1-mile fun run/walk and 5K run, with registration at $20 for the fun run and $25 for the 5K. Participants who register by Nov. 1 are guaranteed an event T-shirt, with 5K runners also receiving custom runner’s bibs.
In a unique twist on traditional race fees, runners can opt to bring a new, unwrapped holiday gift of equal value from a provided list instead of paying the registration fee. All gifts will be distributed to foster children within The CALL network during the holiday season.
“We are partnering with The CALL in Baxter and Fulton Counties so that all our registrants may pay regular registration fees or select to bring a new unwrapped holiday gift,” organizers stated in the event announcement.
The CALL currently oversees 26 houses caring for 41 children and teens across Baxter and Fulton counties. The organization works to recruit, train and support foster and adoptive families for children in foster care, partnering with the Division of Children and Family Services.
In Baxter County alone, there were 47 children in foster care last year, with 23 placed outside the county due to a lack of local foster homes. Fifty-eight churches assist The CALL alongside 13 dedicated families who have taken in many of the community’s foster children.
The race has drawn sponsorships from several local businesses including North West Auto Sales, Lakeview Rentals and D. John Designs.
Registration is available online through a QR code or by contacting Mountain Home Parks and Recreation. The event represents another community effort to support the growing need for foster care resources in the Twin Lakes area.
Foster care provides home-like care for children who cannot live with their parents due to safety concerns or other circumstances. Most children in foster care eventually return home to their families through reunification.
For more information about the Gobble Gallop or to register, participants can scan the QR code on event flyers or contact Mountain Home Parks and Recreation. Those interested in learning more about fostering can contact The CALL at 870-424-4211.
