More Than a Tutu: What Our First Tutu Trot Meant to Us

There’s a moment from our first Tutu Trot that we’ll carry with us for a long time: looking around Town Creek Park on a chilly October morning and seeing people show up in pink tutus for something that mattered.

For months, we had been talking about this race, asking for sponsors, sharing registration links and working through the details. Then, on October 17, it became real. People were there, ready to run, walk, volunteer and cheer.

We had hoped our community would show up. Seeing it happen was something else entirely.

Why We Put on the Tutus

Our involvement began with Dare 2 Tutu and the Tutu Project, using a little humor and a willingness to look silly to bring attention and support to people affected by breast cancer.

As we continued, we wanted to bring that support closer to home.

The Tutu Trot 5K & Fun Run grew from that idea. This year’s event benefited the DOwn South Cancer Foundation and its work supporting local cancer patients, survivors and families.

We wanted to create a morning people would enjoy while giving them a way to help. A tutu made it easier to start the conversation. The reason behind it gave that conversation meaning.

Everyone Brought Something to the Morning

Some people came to race. Others came to walk with friends or bring their families. Volunteers gave up a Saturday morning to help us make it happen. Local businesses said yes when we asked for support.

Together, they shaped the event in ways we couldn’t have done on our own.

As organizers, we spent plenty of time thinking about schedules, supplies and whether we had remembered everything. But when we look back, those aren’t the things that stand out most.

We remember the pink tutus. The encouragement. The people who jumped in to help. The relief of seeing something we had worked on for months become a morning our community could share.

And yes, Aubie in a tutu was pretty memorable, too.

What We Accomplished Together

Our first Tutu Trot 5K & Fun Run raised a gross total of $9,100 for the DOwn South Cancer Foundation.

We’re proud of that number, and we’re grateful for everyone who contributed to it. Every registration, donation and sponsorship helped us reach that total.

Behind those contributions were people making a choice to support a local cause. Some gave money. Some gave their time. Some helped spread the word and brought someone along.

That generosity is what we want to remember when we think about our first year.

A Personal Thank-You

To our runners and walkers, thank you for signing up and showing up, even when the morning was cold.

To our sponsors and donors, thank you for believing in this event while it was still an idea we were asking you to be part of.

To our volunteers, thank you for giving us your time and being willing to jump in where we needed you. Megan and I couldn’t be everywhere at once, and your help meant so much.

Thank you to AORTA for helping bring the race together, and to everyone who shared a post, invited a friend or cheered someone across the finish line.

We’re still learning, and we already have ideas for what we can do better next year. But we’ll always be grateful for the people who helped us get this first Tutu Trot off the ground.

We started with an idea and a few tutus. You helped turn it into something we’ll never forget.

With grateful hearts,
Corrie & Megan
Kent McCown Group

Want to relive the morning? View the race results and find your individual finish-line video, or watch the full 5K finish-line video and Fun Run finish-line video.