William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) made great strides on Oct. 26 during the the inaugural Halloween Hobby Fun Day at the airport. Trai Hicks, Assistant Customer Services Manager at HOU, coordinated the event, which featured a 2.5-mile run/walk and raised $2,000 for Houston Airport Interfaith Chapels. The monies were collected through the City’s annual Combined Municipal Campaign (CMC).

The CMC gives city employees the opportunity to demonstrate their strong sense of community by supporting environmental, health and social welfare issues that concern the citizens of Houston. The annual fundraising drive was held from August through October and allows City employees to give to charitable organizations of their choice.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner proclaimed the day as Hobby Halloween Fun Run Day.

Hicks put the event together in only 90 days and gave additional credit to Traci Rutoski of HOU International Services and Ross Williamson of HOU Airside Operations.

“These two individuals were really critical in their assistance in making this event happen,” Hicks said.

All race efforts were coordinated through Running Alliance Sport, who puts on races throughout Harris County at no cost. Hicks said that all marketing for the first-time event was done electronically through social media and internal communications and by word of mouth, bringing in around 70 runners to complete the 2.5-mile run/walk.

The first-place winner was a local high school student, while Robert Riedle of Pappas was the first HAS runner to complete the run.

Hicks said he was especially pleased at the support he received from HAS management and others. HAS Aviation Director Mario Diaz, HOU General Manager Liliana Rambo, HAS Interfaith Chaplains, and District I Councilman Robert Gallegos were among the special guests who attended or/and participated.

“Liliana was excited to be able to bring her passion of running to her workplace,” Hicks said. “She also brought along a very energetic and excited bunch of ladies from her running group, and we were so glad to have them here.”

Volunteers were onsite at 5 a.m. on a cold, windy 50-degree morning to ensure everything was in order, long before the participants arrived.

Rambo credited HAS partners and vendors Southwest Airlines, Clear, Pappas, and Dylan’s Candy Bar, who provided special prizes for the first-place finisher and the best costumers.

Each runner received a shirt, bib, and a glow-in-the-dark medal, while all volunteers received unique polo shirts, courtesy of HOU Customer Service.

“It was an outstanding first-time event,” Rambo said.

Hicks agreed that the event was a success and he was also gratified that there were no issues whatsoever that arose over the course of the long, chilly morning.

“We have already started conversations to put on next year’s fun run,” Hicks said. “ We want to make it an even bigger and better event in 2020.”

Houston Airport Interfaith Chapels work daily to fulfill their mission to provide a place of comfort, meditation, worship and aid for the traveling public and the airport community.

Many thousands of people have been helped by the organizations represented in the CMC campaign.