The Liberty Wing First Sergeant Council held an Operation Warm Heart run-a-thon here Aug. 2, 2019.
During the event, runners completed laps for monetary donations that will provide emergency funds for Airmen in difficult situations.
Operation Warm Heart is a non-profit organization through the First Sergeant Council that provides emergency funds and relief for Airmen.
"We help offset the cost of emergencies, and we do what we call ‘random acts of kindness,’” said Master Sgt. Alejandro Gonzalez, 48th Logistics Readiness Squadron first sergeant. “Some people do live paycheck to paycheck, some people really struggle, and we want to help them as much as possible."
In the past, Operation Warm Heart has helped the community by paying for lunches, gas and groceries. The funding for these activities comes from donations and fundraising events around the Liberty Wing, such as the run-a-thon.
"We do the run-a-thon once a year, and this is our biggest fundraising event," said Gonzalez. "The run is five hours long. Each runner has sponsors that have pledged to donate money either based on per lap, per mile, or a flat rate."
Whether they ran five miles or a marathon, the runners enjoy participating because they know they are giving back to their community.
"I can definitely feel the impact that Operation Warm Heart has,” said Senior Airman Tynesha Johnson, 48th Communications Squadron client systems technician. “It feels wonderful to participate in this event because it's for a good cause. Eventually someone will benefit from it, and that's the ultimate goal."