Short version
The 2nd Annual Max’s Moon Run was AMAZING! The weather was great, the crowd was wonderful, and we raised $22,000 for the Maximus Janton Foundation. Thank you so much! Scroll to the bottom of the page to see lots of great photos!
Long Version
The weather called for rain all week. Texts started rolling in on Monday, folks asking what our back-up plan was, would we postpone, would we cancel? I felt ill at the thought. When you plan an outdoor event, you take a risk, but man, after pouring so many hours into the preparation, you hope and pray you’ll luck out. And guess what? We did luck out – for the second year in a row.
If you attended the inaugural Max’s Moon Run last summer, you may recall when the sky opened at the end of the night. It was a huge rainstorm, BUT, again, it was the end of the night. We accomplished everything we wanted to do, all that we needed to do, and though the rain soaked our bodies, it didn’t dampen our spirits.
This year, the forecast completely flipped and there were clear, beautiful skies in place of scattered storms. Yes, there were intense winds at the beginning of the night, which prohibited us from using tents and the blow-up arch at the start and finish lines, but so what? Wind shmind. It was a gorgeous night, and I’m not just talking about the weather.
You showed up in droves. You, with your friends, your family, co-workers, and neighbors. You, with your church buddies, school friends, dogs, and children. Though I was on the move all night and felt discombobulated for much of it (I lost and found my speech three times), I made a point of standing still frequently to look around and thank God for a community like you.
How could we pull off a big event in the heart of Suwanee if you didn’t attend? How could we run a non-profit in honor of our boy if you didn’t support our mission? We couldn’t. Your presence, prayers, and goodwill are not lost on us. You carry us in ways I can’t possibly impart.
Planning an event of this magnitude comes with a litany of challenges and sometimes we wonder, is this worth the stress? But then the day comes, and we see you. We picture Max, ping ponging from group to group, the grand marshal of his own run. He’d love it so much. The music, the glow sticks, the outdoors, but know this: it is you he’d love most of all.
Before the race began, a man (whose name I remember, but will keep to myself) approached me, crying. He said he’d read about Max and our mission. His emotion and affection for my son, who he’d never met, was precious. I’ll never forget it. Thank you for caring so much, sir. He spread his arms wide, acknowledging the colorful surroundings, the symphony of laughter created by children and grown-ups – “this is his legacy,” the man said. “I’ll be running in the 5k tonight. I will be running for him.” Then he slid a $100 bill into my hand for the foundation.
It is with GREAT thanks that I share that our night together at Max’s Moon Run raised $22,000. That’s $7,000 more than last year. Do you know how much we can do for the special needs community with that kind of money? A LOT. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
We were grateful for the opportunity to give two big gifts this year.
A couple months ago, I met with All About Kids Therapy Services, Max’s therapy clinic, to see if they had ideas about how to spend some funds from the Maximus Janton Foundation. Together we made an awesome plan to surprise a special needs child with an adapted bike (which is super pricey, for those who may not know).
After a bit of looking around, we landed on the Kerr family – parents Sarah and Sam, big sister Reagan, and Bobby, their 6.5-year-old, extra special little boy.
When I called Sarah days before the event, she was elated. Tears ran down my face as I listened to her squeal. During our call, I asked her to tell me more about Bobby. Her voice sounded like a big smile as she described how much fun her boy is, how happy he is, and how happy he makes others. She told me he’s the “mayor of his school,” that all who know him love him. Her description sounded so familiar. While it wasn’t a requirement that the recipient of the bike be so much like Max, I don’t consider it a coincidence that he is.
Bobby’s face lit up when he saw his bike, especially the squeaker on the handlebar. The crowd cheered through glassy eyes – we witnessed magic together. A former co-worker attended just for that moment and sent me this note after: “I really wanted to see the gift of the bike given because you could never afford to pay what seeing the joy in others’ lives is worth.”
Thank you so much Jaydene Lowe and the crew at Freedom Concepts for all your help with this bike. That’s an experience I hope to repeat.
We also had the privilege of sharing the stage with Sandra Grady and a handful of nurses, our precious friends from the Northside Hospital-Forsyth NICU. We presented them with a check for $20,000 to support NICU families through the Miracle Babies Fund. We have partnered with Miracle Babies for 4 years and, as of Friday night, have given them $70,000. These funds provide relief for families who experience an onslaught of unexpected expenses that can come with an extended NICU stay. We are so grateful for the opportunity to help them. Thank you to our supporters for making this possible.
I want to give a big thank you to Ryan Moore and his band, The UpSide. They put on quite a show. I’d also like to pat my husband Dan on the back for resisting the urge to jump behind a microphone and sing. The temptation is strong with that one.
Thank you to the City of Suwanee, especially Amy Doherty, who is the most positive, cool, calm, and collected ray of light you’ll ever meet.
Thank you to Syfan Logistics, especially Cassie Sullens and Jose Rodriguez, for registering 51 people!
Thank you to all our volunteers- from running booths, to handling registration, handing out bananas and waters, leading kids in warm-ups and orchestrating the Fun Run – I so appreciate you.
Thank you to all our amazing booths and vendors! You added so much to the event and we’re incredibly grateful! Those vendors were: Mint Juleps- Sugar Hill, BeRusted Art, Get Stacked Beads, Camp Gladiator, Chick-Fil-A Moore Road, New Directions, KindTouch Health Services, All About Kids Therapy Services, Sweet Home Georgia Realty, Gwinnett Church, Blazon Apparel, and Jonathan Gross Photography.
Thank you also to our benevolent sponsors: IronTribe Fitness- Johns Creek, Greater Georgia Concrete, Chick-Fil-A Moore Road (Fun Run gift cards), Gwinnett Church (waters for race participants), Sweet Home Georgia Realty (financial and banana donor), Ashley and Kale Self, KindTouch Health Services, All About Kids Therapy Services, and Friends of the Special Care Nursery Forsyth.
Thank you to The Off-Centered Project for their fabulous face paint artist who transformed our little love muffins into cheetahs, lizards, wolves, butterflies, and dozens of other beautiful creatures.
Thank you to Will Smith (not that Will Smith) for the beautiful photos.
Thank you to Sandra Grady and the Northside Hospital-Forsyth NICU staff for attending and to Delane Cope from the Miracle Babies Fund for being a great help.
Thank you to the delicious food trucks that joined us: Edee’s BBQ, KONA Ice, and Mad Italian.
Thank you to Rachel Spain from our beloved Gwinnett Church for kicking the night off with a precious prayer.
Thank you to everyone who made a donation- from $5 to $1,000, seriously, we’re immensely grateful.
We love our Max and miss him every second of every day. Thank you for helping us honor him at the 2nd Annual Max’s Moon Run. Above all, it is my hope that you walked away from the night with great memories, surrounded by people you love, with the name “Max Janton” imprinted on your heart.
And I'll rise up
I'll rise like the day
I'll rise up
I'll rise unafraid
I'll rise up
And I'll do it a thousand times again
And I'll rise up
High like the waves
I'll rise up
In spite of the ache
I'll rise up
And I'll do it a thousand times again
For you
For you
For you
For you
- Andra Day
