WASHINGTON — The elves may be busy with last-minute toy adjustments at the North Pole, but Santa Claus is coming to Bethesda, Maryland, this Saturday to run for a very good cause.
The 19th annual Jolly Fat Man’s Run is hosted by The Sergeant’s Program, a military-style physical fitness group that’s helped adults in our area for 30 years.
The race began as a partnership with the Marine Corps to benefit Toys for Tots in 1995. Two years ago, the program switched to benefit Operation Second Chance (OSC), a non-profit dedicated to helping veterans and their families in the D.C. area.
“It has been a tremendous success. We’re getting more people interested in finding out about this particular charity, and we’re looking for a lot of people to show up at this event,” says Chuck Dyson, head sergeant of The Sergeant’s Program, who started with the program back in 1994.
The goofy “Jolly Fat Man” name was coined years ago by a sergeant who coached a group of heavyset guys whom he called “The Jolly Fat Men.” The program decided to take the name and turn it into an annual holiday race.
Participants will line up at 8 a.m. at the French restaurant Mon Ami Gabi on Woodmont Ave. There, Dyson will lead the group in a warm-up chant called “The Granny Song.”
“It goes something like this: ‘When my granny was 91, she did boot camp just for fun. When my granny was 92, she did push-ups better than you.’ And it goes on through until granny is 100 years old,” Dyson says, laughing.
After the warm-up, joggers will hop onto the Bethesda Trail and run or walk as far as they wish.
“The good news is, this is not like a regular run where it’s a 5K, 8K, 10K, half-marathon or marathon,” Dyson says. “This is a run/walk where you can actually go whatever distance you want. That takes away the competitive side of it and makes it a family-friendly run.”
After the run, joggers will head back to the American Tap Room on Woodmont Avenue for a group breakfast that runs until 11 a.m.
The program is projecting they’ll get 150 to 200 participants Saturday, based on the annual growth of the event and the number of regulars who show up every year.
“We have what we call a community of runners,” Dyson says. “We have a group of about 10 ladies from Columbia who come down all the time. Some people come down from Frederick. So it’s not just a local event. It brings people in from all over.”
Attire is casual. Runners should wear whatever is comfortable to jog in, while instructors will be dressed in their sergeants’ red and black. Dyson will wear a surprise costume at the American Tap Room, while a mystery man will dress up as Santa Claus, just as he has done every year.
“We have a gentleman who comes every year, puts his Santa gear on, takes his long pants off and runs in shorts, no matter the weather,” Dyson says. “He’s a Santa enthusiast.”
Not only is the race a fun event to benefit Operation Second Chance; it’s also a chance to promote The Sergeant’s Program and the work it does year-round to benefit veterans.
“We try to bring in people from outside the program so they can get a feel for what we do and get into that spirit of charity, because the holidays really are a charity time,” Dyson says.
The cause hits close to home for Dyson, who was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1967 and stationed in Alaska, while his brother was wounded in Vietnam.
“Being around people who’ve had injuries and watching them go through depression and all of the things trying to recover … this is an important charity that hits me deep in my heart,” he says.
The wounded vets aren’t the only ones needing help.
“Families are always the forgotten people,” Dyson says. “Their stories are different than the veterans who have had these injuries, but just as tragic, because they have to deal everyday with people who have gone through these injuries — some who have lost a limb.”
The Sergeant’s Program has 20 different locations around the area, including Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church, Montgomery County and Prince George’s County.
Each year, it trains 450 people with the motto: “Be all you used to be.”
“We have some people who come out here who are super fit, then we have people come out here who are challenged,” Dyson says. “We don’t expect everyone to be able to be this super-fit person who can run 13 or 14 miles, but to watch people hit these little goals is special.”
One of those people lost 89 pounds in the last year just through the program’s diet and exercise regimen. And what better way to get started than with a jolly old run through Bethesda with St. Nick?
“It’s a fun event,” Dyson says. “The charity itself is so worthwhile that you should want to come out and do something for our veterans anyway. These are people who go out and put their lives on the line for each and every one of us to have this safe place we live here in America. It’s just a heart- warming program, a heart-warming event. Come on out and join us.”
You can register for the Jolly Fat Man’s Run online or in person at the event.
Registration is $40 for adults and free for kids.
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