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Health & Fitness

Vennie Murphy Walkathon raises $9,000 for Pierce County charity

A walkathon held to honor a Machinists Union member for his volunteer work has raised more than $9,000 to support his favorite charity.

FEDERAL WAY – The first-ever Vennie Murphy 5K Walkathon to benefit The Rescue Mission in Tacoma raised more than $9,000 for the community-service agency.

The event drew more than 150 people who ran or walked at least 5 kilometers around the track at Federal Way High School on April 6.

“We had live music and food, and we had a really good time raising money for a great organization,” said Robley Evans, the chairman of the Machinists Volunteer Program at Machinists Union District Lodge 751, which helped organize the event.

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The money will go toward funding the mission’s work helping people struggling with addiction, homelessness and other life challenges.

The walkathon was held in honor of Vennie Murphy, a retired Machinists Union member from Puyallup who has been a steadfast volunteer at The Rescue Mission since the 1990s.

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Murphy previously had been honored as one of the mission’s volunteers of the year for 2012.

“I don’t know of anybody who’s had as much faithfulness about serving, and has been so influential in bringing in other people to serve,” said David Curry, the mission’s chief executive officer. “We need lots of Vennies.”

Because of Murphy’s involvement, union “MVPs” now help prepare and serve breakfast to homeless people at the mission on four days each month. They also throw periodic Sunday dinners, and in March collected 32 hams for the mission’s Easter dinner.

“Vennie’s been an example and an inspiration for a lot of us at the union,” said Evans. “He’s also a great friend.”

Originally formed in 1935 to represent hourly workers at the Boeing Co., District Lodge 751 of the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers now represents more than 33,000 working men and women at 49 employers across Washington, Oregon and California. In 2012, union volunteers gave more than 10,500 hours of community service and raised nearly $299,000 for Guide Dogs of America, the union’s charity of choice.

To learn more about District 751, read the Machinists News.

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