Light of Life — Lighting the Way for Runners at the Yinzer 5k Fundraiser
On August 19th, involveMINT participated in the Yinzer 5k — a race to raise money for Light Life Rescue Mission, an organization based on Pittsburgh’s North Side that offers many programs that serve the the homeless, poor, addicted, abused and needy.
For the race, participants dressed up in all sorts of silly yinzer-themed attire, and then raced along along Pittsburgh’s picturesque North Shore near the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers.
Unsurprisingly, the 5k was not short of mullets…
Of course, volunteers were needed to hand out water to those in the race. Several water stations were set up along the path, making sure runners were well-hydrated during the muggy August morning. involveMINT volunteers had the opportunity to sign up to pass out water during this event through the Android app.
And runners came to 2 mile mark plenty thirsty…
At the finish, runners had the chance to catch their breaths, while volunteers got to see their costume swag…
After the race ended, it was time to celebrate! A full Pittsburgh-style meal spread was provided courtesy of Uncle Charley’s sausage — and Smiley Cookies from Eat n’ Park.
And after the food, comes awards. To dedicate the awards, several Pittsburgh personalities showed up, including Jim Krenn — best known as the former co-host of the DVE morning show, Victoria Piekut — National American Miss Pennsylvania 2017, and Jackie Cain — news anchor and correspondent from WTAE TV.
Some of the most “photogenic” awards came during the “Best Costume” ceremony. We had many repping the mullets, terrible towels and even one going full-on yinzer pirate.
Fun fact, Miss Pennsylvania (left) is actually the sister of one of our lead developers.


Oh, and don’t forget about the kids category as well!
Overall, it was a very entertaining and impactful event. Light of Life raised in total $12,263 to support their work with the homeless and needy on the North Side.
It seems fitting that Light of Life, one of the first organizations to sign on to involveMINT, becomes one of the first organizations to participate with us and we look forward to our partnership to come!
You can still volunteer for Light of Life by going to our website. Light of Life are looking for individuals to prepare food in their North Side kitchen (10 E North Ave) weekdays from 1–3pm.
Stay tuned for additional stories from our partners!
