By Pamela Palumbo
Two years after we opened the doors to our first office in 1983, we held our first Walk & Run at Allen Pond in Bowie – making this year the 40th year for the Walk & Run for Life!
It’s been a journey – from a simple Walk for Life around Allen Pond, to a “Walk & Roll” embracing the popularity of roller blades, then later adding a 5K run. When we opened the Severna Park clinic in 2006 we expanded the Walk and Run for Life to two locations, one in Bowie & one in Severna Park. In 2013 we combined the two event locations back into one and moved it to the wooded Belvoir Scott Plantation property, then owned by Rockbridge Academy. In 2018 we moved again to the beautiful campus of Mid Atlantic Community Church, now home of the Walk and Run for Life!
Throughout the years the one thing that hasn’t changed is the true purpose of the importance of this fun, family friend celebration of life: raising funds to support the work of the ministry. The last few years of this event led to great growth to raising over 150K, has made it our largest yearly fundraiser and financial foundation for the ministry.
This year, the 40th anniversary of the Walk and Run for Life will be particularly special for me as it will be my last as CEO. (We don’t have the new CEO hired yet, we will share the news with you when we do!) It would mean so much to me to make this the year when I personally raise the most funds for our life-saving mission! If you don’t already have someone you are sponsoring or participating yourself, I would be honored if you would consider joining me in this challenge and sponsoring me!
Every dollar raised at this event stays here in our communities, serving local women with entirely free services, truth spoken in love, and most of all, the hope found only in the Gospel.
While we are talking about an event focused on raising money, ultimately this event makes possible the Wellspring Life Ministry mission of Serving Women * Saving Lives * Sharing Jesus! This is highlighted in the snippet below with the school bus. Last year alone, 221 women we know of, who were pregnant and considering abortion, CHOSE LIFE after after counseling, ultrasound and support. That is equivalent to almost four full school buses filled with kindergarteners in five years from now. Close your eyes and savor that picture. Amazing.
What an honor we have to serve the Lord through Wellspring Life and be a part of what God is doing here. Day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, decade after decade. Now imagine THAT number of lives saved!
I am savoring all the ‘lasts’ for me, this Walk & Run and the honor I have had serving here. I hope to see you Saturday Sept 20, either in person or as one of my sponsors.
For Life!
Pamela Palumbo, CEO