Volunteering Together Sets the Table for Their Thanksgiving
A Thanksgiving tradition starts early for Renee Campbell and Tashia Hill: 4 a.m., to be precise, when the first one to wake up will call the other to be sure they're both up and getting ready to volunteer at the Invesco QQQ Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon, 5K, Mile & Dash.
The mother-daughter duo has been dialing each other before dawn since 2018, but the tradition got its true start eight years earlier when Hill - like tens of thousands of other runners and walkers - threw her name in the hat for a spot in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race. After striking out for four years in the lottery to get into the world's largest 10K road race, Hill finally scored a bib in 2014 and, just like that, was hooked on Atlanta Track Club's offerings despite not having "an athletic bone in my body."
After completing the Peachtree, she extended her 2014 race goals to include the Triple Peach Race Series. That meant completing her first-ever 13.1-miler, the Invesco QQQ Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon, while pregnant. Hill, now 38, then became an Atlanta Track Club ambassador and In-Training Run Lead and made a commitment to volunteer or participate in most of Atlanta Track Club's events.
In 2018, she invited her mother to run the Northside Hospital Atlanta Women's 5K with her. It was Campbell's first 5K, but she quickly picked up her daughter's passion.
"Tashia is my inspiration to starting to run and volunteer," Campbell, 58, said. "She used to always talk about it and say I should try it, so I went ahead and started my journey, and I instantly knew why she loves it so much."
Whether participating or volunteering, Campbell said, she immediately became hooked on the finish line excitement, race day adrenaline rush and joint sense of accomplishment with strangers as they conquered their goals.
"Volunteering has made me step out as an introvert to become more of an introvert/extrovert blend," Campbell said. "I've developed a true family with other volunteers because a lot of the time, you continue to see them at races. It's a great way to form new friendships and connections with people."
While the pair volunteers at many Club events throughout the year and have both grown to be Crew Chiefs, Hill as a course volunteer lead and Campbell as a start line lead, it's Thanksgiving Day they definitely try not to miss.
While Campbell participates as well as volunteers, Hill decided to "take a seat" from the running side after COVID-19 canceled the 2020 race and focus on becoming a Crew Chief.
As mother and daughter drive to the race from their homes in different parts of the city, one will again call the other - this time to check on their progress and ETA. Once both arrive at Center Parc Stadium, they each find themselves greeting their teams of fellow volunteers and guiding them through their morning of cheering and assisting runners. In the years that she runs the 5K, Campbell will hand her volunteer gear over to Hill before lining up; during the race, her Crew Chief daughter will take some photos of her as she runs past.
Afterward, they each continue their days with their own Thanksgiving dinner traditions. Hill spends the afternoon by driving with her children more than six hours to her father's house in South Carolina for dinner, while Campbell stays in Atlanta to cook and enjoy a dinner with her son.
But already, they will be looking forward to next year and the chance to again give back together on this day of thankfulness.
