A husband and wife were the first man and woman to cross the finish line of The Salvation Army’s first-ever Kettle Classic held on April 28 alongside the Potomac River near Hains Point. 
The very first runner to complete the 5K event was 31-year-old P.J. Martinez with a time of 17:33 for the five kilometer course. Just minutes later, his 31-year-old wife, Elizabeth Martinez, came in with a time of 21:04, making her the first woman to complete the race. However, the really big winner of the Kettle Classic was the Turning Point Center for Women and Children located in the middle of the nation’s capital.
The proceeds from the first Kettle Classic 5K are going to the Turning Point Center which mothers between 18 and 30 years of age to break the cycle of homelessness and joblessness through career and life skills training. The organizing committee, The Salvation Army of Washington’s Advisory Council, was expecting to raise a little more than $30,000 in sponsorships and donations or about the amount it takes to fund a family in the program for one year.
DC Roadrunners officially timed the runners of the 2012 Kettle Classic. The full list of results can be found on their website by clicking on the following link: http://www.dcroadrunners.org/races/race-results/2012-results/1712-2012-kettle-classic-5k-results.html.
Participants in the walk portion of the event were not officially timed.
The pre-race program included a 15-minute pre-race warm up lead by fitness expert Tony “The Sarge” Saunders, inspirational comments from Erin Dwyer of The Salvation Army Advisory Council, Bob Hodges of Dunkin’ Brands/Dunkin’ Donuts and a race blessing from Major Steve Morris, Area Commander for The Salvation Army. America’s Miss Washington DC, Sarah Elizabeth Hillware, was the official master of ceremonies.
Photos from the 2012 Kettle Classic 5K can be found on Facebook using keyword “SalArmyDC”.
About Turning Point Center for Women and Children
The Salvation Army’s Turning Point Center is a transitional living program that is located in the heart of the District of Columbia. Since its beginning, Turning Point has been helping young women between 18 and 30 years of age, and their families, to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty by offering the families shelter for up to two years while mothers gain career and life skills to become self-sufficient.
About The Salvation Army & the National Capital Area Command
The Salvation Army National Capital Area Command assisted more than 73,000 individuals last year from families living across the Greater Washington region by providing help and hope through a diverse range of social services. We offer emergency eviction and utility cut-off prevention assistance, grocery, clothing and furniture vouchers, meals for the hungry and homeless, support for the disabled, elderly and ill, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, disaster relief, transitional housing for single mothers with children and character building opportunities for youth. To receive help or make a donation, please visit SalArmyDC.org or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY. Visit us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and Picasa at keyword SalArmyDC.
