Christmas is centered on traditions, so the thermometer reading 6 degrees at 8 a.m. on Dec. 24 could not stop dozens of people from gathering at the Gettysburg Area Middle School for the town’s annual Santa Run.
The run, organized by local resident Jen Daniels, is designed to bring people together and help others. Participants come bearing canned goods or monetary donations for the Gettysburg soup kitchen.
Daniels shared a few words before the start, including a birthday shoutout to her father, Ken, who turns 82 on Christmas Day. The crowd then charged north on Baltimore Street and stopped at the Adams County Library for a group photo. Most wore layers to escape the cold but the Gettysburg Area High School wrestling team donned their skin-exposing singlets.
Runners then forged their own path, with most choosing to loop around Lincoln Square and return to their warm cars at the middle school. Braver, or possibly crazier, souls traversed around Spangler’s Spring for a 3-mile excursion. A small group huddled into Gettysburg Eddie’s afterward for some holiday cheer.
Anyone who missed the run but still wants to support the Soup Kitchen can do so at https://www.gettysburgsoupkitchen.org/
Alex J. Hayes has spent almost two decades in the Adams County news business. He is passionate about sharing stories focused on the people in our communities and following local governments in an age when few journalists report on their meetings. Alex is also a freelance writer for several other publications in South Central Pennsylvania. Alex encourages readers to contact him at ahayes83@gmail.com.