April 24, 2025 • 8 mins
Development Manager at the Muskegon Rescue Mission Jonathan Scouten joins Steve Kelly and Bret Bakita to discuss the upcoming Fore Shore Adventure Run.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's Talk of the Town on news radio with thirteen
hundred and one oh six nine FM Steve Kelly and
Brett Pikita from West Michigan's Morning News. The Development manager
at Miskegan Rescue Mission is Jonathan Scouten in studio with us. Jonathan,
thanks for doing this today.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Yeah, absolutely happy to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
We want to talk about the Foreshore Adventure Run, which
is coming up on the seventeenth of May in year
number ten. It is an awesome opportunity. The pictures look
like it's so much fun, although like a lot of exercise,
but we'll get to that too. First, Let's talk a
little bit about the thing that benefits the most from this,
and it's Miskegan Rescue Mission. So talk to us about
(00:35):
the great work being done on the lake shore.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Yeah, absolutely so. We're one of the oldest charities on
the lake shore, Miskeigan Rescue Mission. We've been there for
one hundred and eighteen years serving our community. We offer
emergency meals and shelter and that's always kind of been
the bread and butter of what we do. But two
years ago we expanded. We added a community resource center
in a daycare, which really transformed our approach where now
(00:59):
we're not just looking at homelessness, but how do we
prevent it by helping people overcome poverty. And so we're
able to get ahead of the issue a little bit.
And like I said, now we're looking at how can
we prevent homelessness before it even happens. We're able to
offer our services to people even if they're not homeless.
So you say, hey, I'm going to be evicted in
thirty ninety days whatever, we can get a head start
(01:20):
on your case ahead of time, get you the tools
and the resources that you need. And really we're really
spearheading this idea of collaboration where we're all better together.
If we can get all of the agencies and partners
that are in the Lake Shore to come and get
the help and the resources to people that are in need,
we're going to really get an angle on homelessness and poverty.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
And Jonathan, that's a key I worked to one year
over in Miskeigan. We've got stations over Miskeigan, but we
talk about Miskegan as part of West Michigan all the time,
and that is happening. There is something a revolution that
is going down on Miskeigan that you have witnessed and
have seen and you're a part of that with offering
these different services. So if someone is listening and maybe
they know someone who could use your help, or they
(02:02):
themselves just needed that nudge maybe hearing this conversation to say, oh,
you know what I could benefit from that. What's the
best resource for them to go and see everything you
have to offer?
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Yeah, so the best thing is just to go to
our community resource center or to call. So if you're
in need to give us a call, you can set
up an appointment, or you can just stop in. We
serve lunch during weekdays there and that's open to anybody
in the community that wants to stop in for a
free meal. But then all of our partners, we have
between fifty and sixty partners right now that come in
on a regular basis and offer their services right on site.
(02:34):
And so, like I said, we believe that we're going
to stick to what we're good at, that's helping people
with meals and shelter. But if we can bring in
these partners that can do what they're good at, we're
all better together. It's a collaborative approach and it's really
unique and we're seeing great results from it.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
So for you, yeah again. To find out more about
the event itself for sure dot org, foishore dot org,
and it says here, whether you're a seasoned at athlete,
a weekend warrior, or a first time participant looking for
an unforgettable adventure and experience, the Foreshore Adventure Run is
(03:09):
for you. Talk to us a little bit about the
event coming up on May seventeen.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Yeah, So it's our tenth annual Foreshore Adventure Run and
it's a five k twenty five obstacle course race right
on the shores of Lake Michigan over at Peer Marquette
and so all sorts of obstacles. We kind of say,
if you can go over it, through it, or around it,
you know, we'll throw it out there on the beach.
And so we've got like a ring swing, there's a
(03:34):
sixty foot water slide that we end the event with.
Oh wow, you're lifting you know, sandbags up into the air,
crawling through different tunnels and things like that. We do
monkey bars, big like cargo nets that you climb over
or under, so all sorts of things. We're always coming
up with new ideas, new obstacles, and it's a great time.
(03:54):
And really one thing that we work at we were
chatting a little bit off air, is you know, there's
the tough mutters that are out. They are the spartan races,
and these are all great events, but they're they're challenging. Therefore,
spartans in Ninja's you know which I am not. I
don't know if you guys are no, So yes, exactly soon. Yeah,
I didn't want to assume. But we really try to
(04:15):
keep this event something that's entry level and people of
all ages and skill levels can participate in. So we
have had runners as young as six seven years old
that participate. Under eighteen is actually our second largest age
group yea. So we keep that in mind with lighter
weight options for people, and of course there's heavier weight
(04:35):
options for people that are in it to win it,
and they are the spartans in ninjas. You know, so
seven years old all the way up to last year.
Our oldest gal she was seventy seven. So wow. Yeah,
people that just come out for the fun of it,
they see Ninja Warrior and they say, hey, I want
to try that. Well, here's your opportunity. You can try it.
If you can't complete something you can just go around
(04:56):
it and go to the next thing. A lot of
people just walk the course and have fun with the option,
and that's what it's all about.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
So I was just gonna say Ninja Warrior was big,
especially during COVID. I know my kids loved it. It traveled
around everything. So I've never tried one of these. I've
run a five k, I've walked a five K. I
probably would do a little bit of both if I
participated this. One of the obstacles wearing the out, but
twenty five obstacles and the other thing. I like two
things is to tie in to life obstacles when you
guys put this together as the fundraiser, which is true
(05:23):
with all of us, and you know why you're helping
out and helping people that need your services through the
Miskig and Rescue Mission. But the other thing is is
that you change it up a little bit. So if
you did it last year, it's gonna look different this
year with maybe seven to eight new obstacles.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Yep, yep. So we're always looking at how do we
revamp things, how do we improve things. So, like you said,
we have seven or eight obstacles every year that are
new and then we're oftentimes revamping a lot of the
other ones. We're learning as we go. The first couple
of years we're a struggle, you know, we learned a
lot of tough lessons and we feel like we're just
kind of hitting our groove now where it's like, hey,
(05:56):
we know what we're doing, we know what we're building.
Our team does all of this. So it's a lot
of our staff and then volunteers that come together, and
so we're learning how to do it better. Our obstacles
are improving every year, and so it's it's really turning
out to be a great event and something that we're
proud of.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
So again to benefit the Miskegan Rescue Mission foreshore dot
org and talk about collaboration. You have got a lot
of great sponsors that have I mean, like the entire
city of Miskegan has jumped on board this too.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Yeah, a lot of great sponsors. Of course, I have
to shout out Huntington Bank. They are presenting sponsor. They've
been with us since year one when it was just
kind of a dream, and they've stuck with us every
year since then. So we're really grateful to have them
on board. Chick fil A has come on board and
they sponsor our Kids Zone, So we have kind of
a miniature obstacle course that's free to run for kids.
(06:45):
It's just a little loop and miniature versions of some
of the obstacles that we have for the adults. So,
like I said, there's truly something for the entire family.
We couldn't do it without our sponsors. They really offset
the setup cost of everything so that all of the
money that is raised through registration goes directly to helping
those who are experiencing homelessness, and so again that's something
(07:07):
we're really proud of. Last year, we estimated that with
the money that we raised, we provided twenty thousand meals
for people that are in need, and so that's that's significant.
You know, that's a good portion of the meals that
we provide every year and something that we're proud of.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
So and Jonathan lastly about that. With the event coming
up May seventeenth, as Steve mentioned, Pere Marquette Beach, great venue,
but information as far as registration, is there a deadline?
Can you register even the day of the race, and
what is the cost?
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Great question? So you can register all the way to
the day of the race. Right now, registration is sixty
five dollars. It does go up two more times before
the day of their race, so the best price you
can lock in is right now, but then I think
in about ten days the price goes up to seventy
and then day of registration is seventy five dollars. So yeah,
(07:55):
you can register the day of right on site. And
I you know, we're expecting record numbers this year. We've
been working toward. Our goal has been one thousand runners,
and this year we can we can say with confidence
we're going to hit one thousand runers. We're at eight
hundred and thirty four as of five minutes ago, so
we're well on our way and I think we're going
to break that thousand runners this year.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Good for you again. More information at Foreshore dot org
to benefit Miskegan Rescue Mission the Foreshore Adventure run Jonathan
Scouting with Miskegan Rescue Mission. Thank you for your time.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Today, Yeah, thank you, guys, appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
This is Talk of the Town on News Radio with
thirteen hundred and one oh six nine FM.
It's Talk of the Town on news radio with thirteen
hundred and one oh six nine FM Steve Kelly and
Brett Pikita from West Michigan's Morning News. The Development manager
at Miskegan Rescue Mission is Jonathan Scouten in studio with us. Jonathan,
thanks for doing this today.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Yeah, absolutely happy to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
We want to talk about the Foreshore Adventure Run, which
is coming up on the seventeenth of May in year
number ten. It is an awesome opportunity. The pictures look
like it's so much fun, although like a lot of exercise,
but we'll get to that too. First, Let's talk a
little bit about the thing that benefits the most from this,
and it's Miskegan Rescue Mission. So talk to us about
(00:35):
the great work being done on the lake shore.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Yeah, absolutely so. We're one of the oldest charities on
the lake shore, Miskeigan Rescue Mission. We've been there for
one hundred and eighteen years serving our community. We offer
emergency meals and shelter and that's always kind of been
the bread and butter of what we do. But two
years ago we expanded. We added a community resource center
in a daycare, which really transformed our approach where now
(00:59):
we're not just looking at homelessness, but how do we
prevent it by helping people overcome poverty. And so we're
able to get ahead of the issue a little bit.
And like I said, now we're looking at how can
we prevent homelessness before it even happens. We're able to
offer our services to people even if they're not homeless.
So you say, hey, I'm going to be evicted in
thirty ninety days whatever, we can get a head start
(01:20):
on your case ahead of time, get you the tools
and the resources that you need. And really we're really
spearheading this idea of collaboration where we're all better together.
If we can get all of the agencies and partners
that are in the Lake Shore to come and get
the help and the resources to people that are in need,
we're going to really get an angle on homelessness and poverty.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
And Jonathan, that's a key I worked to one year
over in Miskeigan. We've got stations over Miskeigan, but we
talk about Miskegan as part of West Michigan all the time,
and that is happening. There is something a revolution that
is going down on Miskeigan that you have witnessed and
have seen and you're a part of that with offering
these different services. So if someone is listening and maybe
they know someone who could use your help, or they
(02:02):
themselves just needed that nudge maybe hearing this conversation to say, oh,
you know what I could benefit from that. What's the
best resource for them to go and see everything you
have to offer?
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Yeah, so the best thing is just to go to
our community resource center or to call. So if you're
in need to give us a call, you can set
up an appointment, or you can just stop in. We
serve lunch during weekdays there and that's open to anybody
in the community that wants to stop in for a
free meal. But then all of our partners, we have
between fifty and sixty partners right now that come in
on a regular basis and offer their services right on site.
(02:34):
And so, like I said, we believe that we're going
to stick to what we're good at, that's helping people
with meals and shelter. But if we can bring in
these partners that can do what they're good at, we're
all better together. It's a collaborative approach and it's really
unique and we're seeing great results from it.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
So for you, yeah again. To find out more about
the event itself for sure dot org, foishore dot org,
and it says here, whether you're a seasoned at athlete,
a weekend warrior, or a first time participant looking for
an unforgettable adventure and experience, the Foreshore Adventure Run is
(03:09):
for you. Talk to us a little bit about the
event coming up on May seventeen.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Yeah, So it's our tenth annual Foreshore Adventure Run and
it's a five k twenty five obstacle course race right
on the shores of Lake Michigan over at Peer Marquette
and so all sorts of obstacles. We kind of say,
if you can go over it, through it, or around it,
you know, we'll throw it out there on the beach.
And so we've got like a ring swing, there's a
(03:34):
sixty foot water slide that we end the event with.
Oh wow, you're lifting you know, sandbags up into the air,
crawling through different tunnels and things like that. We do
monkey bars, big like cargo nets that you climb over
or under, so all sorts of things. We're always coming
up with new ideas, new obstacles, and it's a great time.
(03:54):
And really one thing that we work at we were
chatting a little bit off air, is you know, there's
the tough mutters that are out. They are the spartan races,
and these are all great events, but they're they're challenging. Therefore,
spartans in Ninja's you know which I am not. I
don't know if you guys are no, So yes, exactly soon. Yeah,
I didn't want to assume. But we really try to
(04:15):
keep this event something that's entry level and people of
all ages and skill levels can participate in. So we
have had runners as young as six seven years old
that participate. Under eighteen is actually our second largest age
group yea. So we keep that in mind with lighter
weight options for people, and of course there's heavier weight
(04:35):
options for people that are in it to win it,
and they are the spartans in ninjas. You know, so
seven years old all the way up to last year.
Our oldest gal she was seventy seven. So wow. Yeah,
people that just come out for the fun of it,
they see Ninja Warrior and they say, hey, I want
to try that. Well, here's your opportunity. You can try it.
If you can't complete something you can just go around
(04:56):
it and go to the next thing. A lot of
people just walk the course and have fun with the option,
and that's what it's all about.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
So I was just gonna say Ninja Warrior was big,
especially during COVID. I know my kids loved it. It traveled
around everything. So I've never tried one of these. I've
run a five k, I've walked a five K. I
probably would do a little bit of both if I
participated this. One of the obstacles wearing the out, but
twenty five obstacles and the other thing. I like two
things is to tie in to life obstacles when you
guys put this together as the fundraiser, which is true
(05:23):
with all of us, and you know why you're helping
out and helping people that need your services through the
Miskig and Rescue Mission. But the other thing is is
that you change it up a little bit. So if
you did it last year, it's gonna look different this
year with maybe seven to eight new obstacles.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Yep, yep. So we're always looking at how do we
revamp things, how do we improve things. So, like you said,
we have seven or eight obstacles every year that are
new and then we're oftentimes revamping a lot of the
other ones. We're learning as we go. The first couple
of years we're a struggle, you know, we learned a
lot of tough lessons and we feel like we're just
kind of hitting our groove now where it's like, hey,
(05:56):
we know what we're doing, we know what we're building.
Our team does all of this. So it's a lot
of our staff and then volunteers that come together, and
so we're learning how to do it better. Our obstacles
are improving every year, and so it's it's really turning
out to be a great event and something that we're
proud of.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
So again to benefit the Miskegan Rescue Mission foreshore dot
org and talk about collaboration. You have got a lot
of great sponsors that have I mean, like the entire
city of Miskegan has jumped on board this too.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Yeah, a lot of great sponsors. Of course, I have
to shout out Huntington Bank. They are presenting sponsor. They've
been with us since year one when it was just
kind of a dream, and they've stuck with us every
year since then. So we're really grateful to have them
on board. Chick fil A has come on board and
they sponsor our Kids Zone, So we have kind of
a miniature obstacle course that's free to run for kids.
(06:45):
It's just a little loop and miniature versions of some
of the obstacles that we have for the adults. So,
like I said, there's truly something for the entire family.
We couldn't do it without our sponsors. They really offset
the setup cost of everything so that all of the
money that is raised through registration goes directly to helping
those who are experiencing homelessness, and so again that's something
(07:07):
we're really proud of. Last year, we estimated that with
the money that we raised, we provided twenty thousand meals
for people that are in need, and so that's that's significant.
You know, that's a good portion of the meals that
we provide every year and something that we're proud of.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
So and Jonathan lastly about that. With the event coming
up May seventeenth, as Steve mentioned, Pere Marquette Beach, great venue,
but information as far as registration, is there a deadline?
Can you register even the day of the race, and
what is the cost?
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Great question? So you can register all the way to
the day of the race. Right now, registration is sixty
five dollars. It does go up two more times before
the day of their race, so the best price you
can lock in is right now, but then I think
in about ten days the price goes up to seventy
and then day of registration is seventy five dollars. So yeah,
(07:55):
you can register the day of right on site. And
I you know, we're expecting record numbers this year. We've
been working toward. Our goal has been one thousand runners,
and this year we can we can say with confidence
we're going to hit one thousand runers. We're at eight
hundred and thirty four as of five minutes ago, so
we're well on our way and I think we're going
to break that thousand runners this year.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Good for you again. More information at Foreshore dot org
to benefit Miskegan Rescue Mission the Foreshore Adventure run Jonathan
Scouting with Miskegan Rescue Mission. Thank you for your time.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Today, Yeah, thank you, guys, appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
This is Talk of the Town on News Radio with
thirteen hundred and one oh six nine FM.
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