Lace up for Kim's Toybox Run: A festive race with a cause

Cape Girardeau will welcome the holiday season on Sunday, Dec. 1, with the 26th annual Kim’s Toybox Run, a cherished community tradition supporting the Cape Jaycees Toybox. The one-mile, flat-and-fast course starts at 4:55 p.m. and leads runners down Broadway, just ahead of the downtown Cape Girardeau Christmas Parade of Lights.

Supporting a Worthy Cause

Participants can join the run by donating an unwrapped child’s present or paying a registration fee of $20 for adults and $10 for children under 18. All proceeds will go to the Jaycees Toybox, which provides Christmas gifts to local children in need.

The run is designed as a "fun run," with no T-shirts or age group awards. However, the overall male and female winners will receive a gift from Missouri Running Co. The event promises a fun evening for runners and spectators alike, with refreshments provided during the Parade of Lights.

Race day registration will open at 4 p.m. Participants should note that there will be no shuttle service between the start and finish lines, but checked gear will be transported and available for pick-up at the Post Race Corral located at Broadway and Middle Street, next to Discovery Playhouse.

For more information on the event, including costume contest details and photos, visit moruncocape.com.

The run was started in 1998 by Kim McDowell, who was active in many initiatives such as the Parade of Lights, Christmas for the Elderly and Toybox. Following her death in 2010, the run was renamed in her honor.

According to previous Southeast Missourian reporting, the run typically draws 75 to 125 participants and $2,000 in toys and money for the cause.

Kim's Toybox Run is sponsored by Coad Toyota, tpc, Missouri Running Co., Cross Point Animal Hospital, and the Southeast Missourian.