Mississippi Heroes Beer & Bacon 5K Run raising funds for wheelchair ramps

GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) - The streets of downtown Gulfport were filled with runners and walkers early Saturday morning taking part in a new event: the Mississippi Heroes Beer & Bacon 5K Run.

“It just made sense to me to do a Beer & Bacon 5K and have people dress up like pigs, bacon and beer,” said Mississippi Heroes Executive Director Katherine Sutton.

While the run was a lot of fun, there was a very serious mission behind it. Mississippi Heroes wanted to raise funds to help caregivers, specifically those who use wheelchair ramps.

“We’ve had people approach us about wheelchair ramps, so we started to build them. And all our funds today will be going to more wheelchair ramps in the community,” Sutton said.

Thanks to the community, Mississippi Heroes has been able to serve more than 1,000 caregivers on the Gulf Coast. Sutton said that support means the world to the people they serve.

“When we talk to the caregivers, they are so thankful for what we’ve done. Even if it’s something as simple as a little recognition. A lot of them don’t leave their homes and are not in public, so they’re a little lonely and they’re just busy taking care of other people,” said Sutton. “We’re able to give them a little love back. We always say it helps them fill their cup a little bit so they can take better take care of the people they care for.”

Mississippi Heroes’ next big event is a Bacon Bit Pig Race at Centennial Plaza on November 11th. Learn more about that event and the organization at MississippiHeroes.org.

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