A productive run

Thousands of participants turned out for the 11th annual Run for Food last Thursday (Nov. 24), an annual Thanksgiving Day 5K run/walk dedicated to raising money for the Jesus Center, a Chico-based nonprofit that specializes in feeding the destitute.

“Run for Food is absolutely our biggest fundraiser of the year,” Amber Abney-Bass, director of development at the Jesus Center, said by phone. The total amount of money raised is still being calculated, she said.

“Last year, it accounted for 40 percent of all the meals we served,” she said. “The success of this year’s event keeps us on schedule to serve 102,000 meals by the end of the 2016 calendar year.

Abney-Bass said the event drew a total of 5,086 participants, 82 sponsors and hundreds of community volunteers.