A Turkey Trot alternative that’s become a Thanksgiving tradition for some folks in Waterloo saw great success in its recent fundraising efforts, surpassing even the exceptional amount raised for a good cause last year.

The annual Rau-a-thon once again saw folks gathering outside the Rau family’s house, enjoying one another’s company Thanksgiving morning and getting ready to make room for turkey and stuffing with a trip through town.

As Nathan Rau explained, the first event back in 2012 came about as a small group of runners were looking for a way to enjoy the feel of the St. Louis Turkey Trot without having to contend with the chaos and crowds at the city’s run.

“It was inspired by some friends of ours that actually did a triathlon on their family farm in Red Bud, and we thought ‘Well if they did that, we can do a short run from our house,’” Rau said.

Though it started out as a grassroots event primarily for family, friends and folks who just happened to hear about it, the Rau-a-thon has grown a fair amount in the past decade while still managing to stay contained and maintain a small-town feel.

This year’s event – the 11th Rau-a-thon as a break was taken one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic – saw around 200 people per Rau’s estimate.

“It’s surprised us, to be honest,” Rau said. “It goes to show what word of mouth really does. We have a Facebook page and word of mouth, that’s the only two ways that people really find out about us. I think it just got rolling like a snowball where people seemed to check it out, and then maybe they just liked the general vibe of it. I think you just get a lot of like-minded people that are excited for the holidays, that feel good about getting active that morning a little bit.”

While the event has always been about simply coming together and getting active during Thanksgiving weekend as kids enjoy a mile fun run and adults do a 5K run/walk at their own pace, the Rau-a-thon has come to center around fundraising more and more in recent years.

Rau recalled that the charity focus really began in 2020 in support of Elsa Wiemerslage, a young girl who has been battling cancer for a number of years.

With Elsa’s condition improving, Rau got in touch with her father who was positive about last year’s attention being turned toward 1-year-old Amari, son of Jessica Kelly and Ramone Connor.

The 2023 Rau-a-thon proved to be quite successful as event participants and those simply looking to give donated roughly $10,000 in support of the young boy suffering from DiGeorge Syndrome.

Speaking on the charity element of the Rau-a-thon, Rau said, “It definitely adds a lot of meaning to the event for us and, I think, everybody else.”

Rau also noted he and his family don’t tend to work directly with those families for whom funds are raised, instead donating the money to Monroe County House of Neighborly Service to manage disbursement.

Though he’s received appreciation from the two families who have received support in the past, Rau noted he doesn’t know precisely what the effect of the fundraiser has been.

“I just don’t know specifically what the impact was, except I like to think that they get a very obvious indication that the community is aware that they’re there, that they’re hurting and that they need help,” Rau said.

Looking for another local cause to support, this year’s Rau-a-thon beneficiary was the Collmeyer family.

As Rau explained, this fundraiser was somewhat personal as he attended high school with Matt Collmeyer.

Rau spoke about how Matt’s wife Lori had been battling cancer for some time, with the family grappling with expenses including numerous ambulance rides and doctor visits.

Anticipating that the cancer was terminal, the Raus reached out for permission to host the fundraiser.

Lori passed away Nov. 10, seemingly spurring the community to support the family.

“That definitely changed things,” Rau said. “It kind of went from a ‘the fight is on’ to ‘we’re entering this new stage with our family.’ So I was curious what that would do to the fundraising, but I have to think it just kinda energized people more.”

Rau reported a notable spike in out-of-town donations compared to previous years, with a number of college friends and others visiting to participate.

The crowd certainly delivered in its fundraising Thanksgiving morning, with Rau suggesting that around $2,800 in cash found its way into a bucket on the lawn along with around $9,000 in Venmo donations.

Further donations attributed to the Rau-a-thon, per Rau, have amounted to $20,276, doubling the already surprising and commendable 2023 figure.

Rau was quite positive about the way the Rau-a-thon has allowed members of the community to come together to support local families in need of help.

He was also happy about how it has become a gathering for his family, friends and others in the community as folks gather around fire pits on the lawn and enjoy food and drinks together on Thanksgiving.

“It’s hard for me to convey how much my family has come to really love the event because of all the people that show,” Rau said. “It just makes our whole day, weekend, season. It really kickstarts everything, so we’re beyond appreciative of the people who come.”

Looking ahead, Rau said he and his family are happy about the event’s growth, but are also wary about things getting out of hand.

Attendees, he said, have been respectful and courteous of him and his neighbors, and he further expressed appreciation for the city’s support and Chad Minier for providing entertainment with his trumpet.

Should the event get too big for the family to handle, he said, they would simply look to go out with a bang for one last big Rau-a-thon.

Though the run concluded on Thanksgiving, those looking to support the Collmeyer family can still do so through Monroe County House of Neighborly Service.