There’s this fun little tradition with Max’s Moon Run called weather roulette. We prepare and plan the event for four months, then the big week arrives. We start following the forecast on Monday, praying for clear skies on Friday. No matter what the forecast says, we know there will be a surprise. There might be torrential rain, maybe off and on sprinkles, a pop-up shower, or even Wizard of Oz-strength winds. What’s predictable, however, is that the crowd won’t care. I will stress and sweat over each drop of rain, but our crowd…they’re unshakable, man.
They’re there to run, to walk, to cheer, play, eat, drink, sing, dance and support. Year after year they show up, weather be damned. And they send my heart floating like a balloon.
The night feels nearly as surreal as Max’s celebration of life service. It’s a time to recognize our boy, surrounded by faces from every phase of our lives. We see friends from childhood, friends from college, and friends we’ve met through our other kids. We see family and co-workers, former co-workers, teachers, nurses, therapists, and coaches who’ve touched our lives. We see church friends, friends who own some of our favorite local businesses, and friends of friends who were (thankfully) convinced to attend. Some of these people knew Max, some of them only know him through us, but they’re all there for him, to support this mission of ours that honors him, and I’ll be grateful for as long as I live.
Here are the CliffsNotes from the 4th Annual Max’s Moon Run:
We surprised two boys, Tyrese Black and Josue Hernandez, with customized, adapted bicycles! These bikes are valued around $4,500 each. Thank you so much to Freedom Concepts for building these amazing bikes and to All About Kids Therapy Services for referring these precious boys.
Local celebrity Connor Tomlinson joined us to announce the start of the race! Connor stars on Netflix’s breakout show, “Love on the Spectrum.” We were so honored (and totally starstruck) to have him join us, as were the MANY fans who lined up for photos.
We had 485 race registrants, a combo of in-person and virtual runners! We surpassed last year’s number by 73 registrants!
Scoot Teasley and his band were on stage all night and they were INCREDIBLE! If he’s not at the CMT Awards next spring, we hope he’ll join us again.
We invited our friends from Northside Hospital-Forsyth Special Care Nursery on stage to receive a check for $30,000! This money is used to support NICU family with unanticipated expenses during their baby’s stay. Since we launched the Maximus Janton Foundation in 2018, we have given $130,000 to the NICU. That absolutely blows our minds.
Together we raised $20,000 to be used to serve the special needs community!
Just an hour before registration opened, an employee from Suwanee Town Center called to say the tents, tables, and chairs for the event couldn’t be set up because a terrible storm was headed that way. All that hard work, I thought. All that hard work could be for nothing.
The storm rolled in, and it raged. Thunder, lightning, sheets of rain, and then, quick as it arrived, it disappeared, leaving us with a pleasant breeze, a welcome whistle of cool air that only made the night better. How about that.
So many details made the Moon Run special. Max was honored so well. As I say every year, he would’ve loved every bit of it, but it’s the people he’d love most. That’s what we love most, too.
And now for my Oscars speech. There are so many to thank.
HUGE, heartfelt thanks to our benevolent sponsors: KidStuff, The Whiting Family, Iron Tribe Fitness, The Self Family, and Wilson Wealth Management! Thank you so much for your generosity!
Big thanks also to Sweet Home Georgia Realty & Gwinnett Church for in-kind donations of water and bananas for our 5k participants. Thank you also to Gwinnett Church for providing so much extra fun for all the children who attended!
Thank you to everyone who registered in-person and online. Every registration is a donation, and we greatly appreciate your partnership as we strive to support the special needs community.
Thank you so much to our favorite local businesses: Mint Juleps Shop and Get Stacked Beads for setting up tents with your fabulous wares! We love and appreciate you. Thank you to Lisa Teasley, mother of Scoot Teasley, for your KR8 A Cookie treats, which you handed out for free in exchange for folks to follow your boy on social media. I like your style.
Thank you to Amy Doherty, Kim Towne, and the rest of the team at Suwanee Town Center. This event is quite a job, but it’s made so much easier because of you. Y’all are the best.
Thank you to Crystel Saturday for warming up our race participants. Crystel is a gem! I highly recommend following her on Instagram if you need fitness motivation.
Thank you to Race Works for managing the race timing, and for helping with the race bibs and medals.
Thanks so much to Chick Fil-A Moore Road (workplace of the fabulous and beloved Miss AJ) for donating gift cards to all our Fun Run participants and for bringing the cow along for the fun.
Thank you to the Off-Centered Project face painters who turned faces young and old into works of art. Special thanks also to Tony Schott, the man on stilts, for that awesome surprise!
Thank you to our delicious food trucks: Rita’s Italian Ice, Old Dad’s Wings, and Mad Italian (you missed out Ashley Croker, but they’ll be back next year 😊).
Thank you to the amazing groups from Ainsley’s Angels, Connectability, and Annandale Village for supporting us and encouraging your people to become our people.
Thank you so much to my mom, Debbie Hughes, for managing the foundation booth and for being a constant soundboard for me. Thank you to my sister and to my many friends who pitched in and helped with an array of tasks. You all manage the crazy so well and I’m incredibly grateful.
Special thanks to Jayme Fowler and Marcia Humphrey for attending. It meant a lot to see you there. You’ve had a devastating year, yet you continuously show up for others in so many ways. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for showing up for us. I hope I can return the favor.
Finally, thank you to Ana Clavijo for sharing your beautiful photography talent with us.
