Greta’s family, Jayne Ruotolo, and I are ringing your doorbells for Greta’s Run! We’ve been walking to homes on the 5k route, letting them know about temporary road closures on race day – Sunday, September 15th.
People have been so gracious and hospitable to us. Often, we’re walking around the neighborhoods we grew up in, seeing people we haven’t in years, and new faces in houses we used to play in. Greta’s sister Heidi and I have been having so much fun! The personal interaction of it has been personally validating. Everyone remembers Greta, knows the story of her life, and is eager to participate in any way they can: cheering, running, or spreading the word. In the couple of hundred houses we’ve visited, we haven’t had one unwelcoming experience!
People sometimes think we’re solicitors, reluctantly answering the door; others peak out the window then pretend they’re not home. One mom audibly rolled her eyes at me before realizing what we were there for. Then we laughed and recalled our own experiences hiding from the doorbell! Overall, the neighborhoods have been wonderful. The Schneider’s in the Franklin District gave us homemade rice-crispy treats and the Penn’s of the Wilson District offered a break from walking with conversation.
The intention of Greta’s Run is to embrace and empower people. Choosing to hand out what we easily could’ve mailed has been worth the miles of walking. It’s rewarding to come face to face with the people you live among. We are so grateful to our community and the support they’ve offered!
Website for Greta's Run: http://www.westfieldynj.org/community/gretasrun
