SACRAMENTO, Calif. — More police officers will be at the Sacramento Run to Feed the Hungry event this year after a possible bomb threat.
The Sacramento Police Department said in a news release Monday that it received a forwarded email last Monday, Nov. 13 about a bomb threat referencing the annual fundraiser for Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services.
“The safety of all participants and spectators at Run to Feed the Hungry is a top priority,” said Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester. “As our federal law enforcement partners are actively and assertively investigating the threatening remarks contained in the email, we are implementing measures to enhance the safety and security of the event.”
The event - celebrating its 30th year - is still planned for Thursday as long as it is safe, according to Blake Young, president and CEO of Sacramento Food Bank & Family services.
"We’ve been working closely with the Sacramento Police Department and the FBI on, you know, whether this is credible or not," Young said. “We’re using caution, but let’s also remind ourselves that, you know, this is the world we live in and let’s just make sure we stay calm and get as much information and make an informed decision.”
Sacramento police and the FBI are investigating the threat.
“The FBI is deeply committed to the safety of the communities we serve. While this threat may not be credible, we continue to work with the Sacramento Police Department to thoroughly investigate this alleged threat to protect the Greater Sacramento community,” said Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI Sacramento Field Office in a statement. "We encourage the public to always report suspicious behavior to law enforcement to protect both themselves and others from harm. We all must work together to ensure the safety of our communities at all times."
Last year, about 29,000 people participated in the event, making it the largest Thanksgiving fun run in the country, according to its website.
"Our hope is to be able to host Run to Feed the Hungry as an in-person event, and the Sacramento Police Department has committed to having an increased presence on Thanksgiving Day. The safety of our staff, volunteers, participants, partners and community is our top priority, so we will only proceed in person if we believe we can operate the event securely. We will continue to provide additional information as we receive it," Young said.
ABC10 spoke with Young, along with runners and volunteers, at Fremont Presbyterian Church on Monday, where participants can register for the event and pick up their race-day gear.
“Why does someone want to mess up such a festive, wonderful event?” said Karen Lonczak, who has been volunteering at Run to Feed the Hungry for more than two decades. "It’s someone probably making an idle threat…How many times does something like this actually come to fruition?”
Participant Sue Murray of Carmichael says she still plans on showing up to the race Thanksgiving morning.
“I have faith in the police department and the organizers of this run that they’re going to resolve that and it’ll be fine," Murray said.
Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services serves about 300,000 people each year, Young said, and Run to Feed the Hungry brings in about $1 million, annually.
"For every dollar we raise, we can provide five meals. So you can imagine, that’s a lot of hungry people being fed as a result of this event," Young said. "I would definitely encourage folks to come out and enjoy the day, enjoy supporting the organization. Hunger doesn’t take a vacation. We have small children. We have seniors. We have single moms. We have families that struggle to put nutritious food on the table, and this event really does help Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services provide critical resources.”
On this 30th anniversary, event organizers are hoping to set a record with 30,000 registrants. Spokesperson Kevin Buffalino said they're on track to reach that number sometime on Tuesday. An updated number is HERE.
Anyone with questions about their registration or security can reach out to event organizers at registration@runtofeedthehungry.com.
Watch more on ABC10
