The partnership between University Hospitals Portage Medical Center and Ravenna Raven Packs continues to blossom. The food service which packs and distributes food bags for food-insecure elementary aged students in the Ravenna School District will receive 50% of the proceeds raised at the UH Portage Medical Center FUN Committee’s annual Monster Dash Fun Run & 5K run on Oct. 18 at UH Portage Medical Center at 6847 North Chestnut Street.
“We have been building our relationship with UH Portage Medical Center like our summer Farmer’s Market program, so we are enjoying finding ways to partner with them,” Raven Packs Director of Operations Laura Wunderle told The Weekly Villager on Oct. 9. “I hope that whatever the Monster Dash relationship looks like, in the future we’ll be able to continue to build that UH Portage Medical Center-Raven Packs relationship.”
It is the second straight year that Raven Packs will receive half of the donated funds from the Monster Dash event, receiving a $2,175 donation from the event last year.
The event will begin with a 400-meter Monster Dash Fun Run around the campus for children at 8:30 a.m. Following the Fun Run, there will be a 5K race at 9 a.m. that will take all participants around the campus and onto the nearby biking trail.
Children who participate in the Fun Run can also run in the 5K event. Keeping with the spirit of Halloween, all participating attendees will have the option of wearing costumes in both events.
According to Wunderle, being connected to the Monster Dash event aligns perfectly with Raven Packs’ values of not only feeding the hungry but also offering healthy food choices.
“Our vision is to tangibly support kids in Ravenna by giving them food. We also have a vision for educating children and families on how to be healthier and how to have healthy food options and make cost-efficient choices,” she added. “That includes things like physical health and being involved in your community.”
She said that the decision to make the Raven Packs Foundation the recipient of half of the funds raised was determined by the UH Portage Medical Center’s FUN Committee. She added that the Committee sought an organization that matches their values in promoting a healthier lifestyle.
In addition to having its core values align with the Monster Dash event, Wunderle also spoke about the impact it had on participants watching the young children show passion for physical activity.
“I think often adults will participate in something at the request of their child so by bringing in that kid component and having things that are appealing to them, kids will say hey mom, hey dad I would love to do this thing which by default brings the parents into the picture as well,” she noted.
It is unknown how much money the Raven Packs Foundation will receive from this year’s Monster Dash event, but Wunderle said that whatever proceeds are received will go a long way to feeding students and their families.
According to her, one of the Raven Packs Foundation’s biggest strengths is not only feeding families that are in need but also finding cost-effective food options that are also high quality. She said that the organization usually sources its food from the Akron-Canton Food Bank, Sirna & Sons Produce and other local stores.
“We really try to keep that cost down while still providing kids with items that they will enjoy and are able to make themselves, equiping them to be successful when they may not have school or parent support in those things.,The cost of the bags is one of our main focuses,” she said. “Having those funds and knowing that we can take them and use them more than your typical grocery store is excellent.”
Wunderle said that the Monster Dash event is not only a great day of activity for families, but also a great way to introduce young children to the benefits of physical activity and how it can lead a healthier lifestyle.
“If you have a healthy lifestyle in physical fitness or your eating choices, that rolls over to other areas of life as well. The vision is to get them into that mindset early before some bad habits may have developed,” she said. “Hopefully, that can be supported and maintained throughout their lives.”
Wunderle emphasized that whatever money is received from the event, there will be many students and their families who will no longer go hungry thanks to the participation of residents and the efforts of UH Portage Medical Center.
