What began as merely a school project has now become a yearly crusade to help local families in need.
The Seventh Annual Gobble Wobble 5-k run/walk will be held Nov. 9 at 2 p.m. The Gobble Wobble raises money to provide Thanksgiving dinners to unfortunate families in the Big Bend area.
“You see people and just because they have a house and a car, you think they have everything,” said Paul Chance, founder for Gobble Wobble and FAMU alumnus. “After doing something like this and realizing some families can’t afford to buy food, you begin to see things differently.”
The Gobble Wobble will start and end at the Walgreens drug store on West Tennessee Street.
Falayn Ferrell, a FAMU student and Gobble Wobble volunteer, said volunteers are working hard to get food donations from local businesses to provide a buffet for the participants of the run.
“We are going to every restaurant that we can think of so that runners will be able to have a good meal after the event,” Ferrell said.
To be a part of the event, participants must give a small donation. The money raised from participants and sponsors of the event is then used to buy Thanksgiving dinners for needy families whose names and addresses are provided by the Second Harvest Food Bank.
Diane Strubrud, production manager at the food bank, said the Gobble Wobble has been a tremendous help in feeding needy families at Thanksgiving.
“We service 14 counties,” Strubrud said. “Every turkey feeds a whole family, maybe two. Just one can of food can be a meal for some. Every bit helps.”
Erin Appleton, a Florida State University student and Gobble Wobble volunteer said, “I am excited to be a part of such a charitable event. It feels good to know that I can help a needy family have a good Thanksgiving.”
In the past six years, Gobble Wobble has raised almost $20,000 and fed approximately 500 families, Chance said. In the future, Chance hopes to take Gobble Wobble to a state level and, with the help of Second Harvest Food Bank, be able to host the event in different cities throughout Florida.