By Daneen Khan (with reporting contributions from Samee Ghaffar and Mohammad Qureshi)
Over a thousand community members gathered Saturday for a race where they ran not for personal glory but for the people of Palestine.
The racers were participating in Gather Good for Palestine’s Watermelon 5K Fest at the WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary.
Gather Good, a nonprofit organization based in Raleigh, NC, said on its website that it organized the event “to raise aid and honor Palestinian resistance and humanity.” They did not respond to Haqq’s request for comment.
The nonprofit partnered with Heal Palestine, an organization committed to providing health, education, aid and leadership for Palestinian youths. Through their efforts, the Watermelon 5K raised over $50,000 through entry fees and donations, all of which were donated to benefit children and mothers in Gaza.
The 5K kicked off around 11 in the morning. Alongside the race, Gather Good also held a free Culture Fest that began around 1 p.m.
Attendees for the festivities came from a variety of ages and backgrounds. Racers wore white shirts and bibs with their race number and the names of Palestinian martyrs, while the organizing team donned green shirts. Some visitors also brought keffiyehs, waved Palestinian flags or wore watermelon-themed accessories.
One racer, UNC alum Ferras Dahnoun, said seeing so many people come out for the event was beautiful. He said he began his race walking with his family, and for the second half, he was motivated by thinking about the struggles of Palestinians.
He wasn’t the only participant who found strength in remembering why he was running. Racer Leen Hijaz said she did feel tired, but then she thought about how the children in Gaza must be feeling at that moment.
“I thought about how they’re so much more tired than I am, so I can’t be complaining about a little race,” she said.
After the race, a community member gave a short speech to the crowd.
“What I love most about this gathering is it has people from all kinds of lives,” he said. “I see so many different nationalities and ethnicities, and this makes it very, very special.”
Local businesses, including Mediterranean Deli, Bakery and Catering, Baba Ghannouj Mediterranean Bistro, Foursquare Property Management and RDU Auto covered the race's costs. Their contributions allowed all proceeds to go towards donations.
Multiple local vendors, including Sunflower Coffee, Asali Desserts and Ayman’s Halal Truck, sold food and drinks to attendees. People who didn't race spent time with their family and friends, created Palestine-themed artwork and contributed to a live mural and auction.
Many volunteers assisted with setting up, organizing the racers and serving food. One volunteer, Ehab Arif, said his favorite part of the event was knowing he was helping the community for a great cause.
“We’re doing groundbreaking things out here,” he said.
Arif said his biggest takeaway from the day was knowing that the 5K was about more than just people attending and that the event showed real humanity.
“It’s about community. It’s about fun. It’s about doing good things for other people in places where we don’t even see them, but they still need our help, so we’re going to provide it,” he said.
All racers and various attendees also received keys attached to watermelon-print ribbons. A Palestinian immigrant, Dr. Ahmed Abumohsen, gave a speech to the crowd where he said the keys represent the “right to return.”
After he spoke, he encouraged those with keys to raise them to the sky to symbolize their unity with the people of Palestine. His audience obliged, raising their keys with pride as instrumental music echoed across the field.
“We are here today as a community, which shows you the power and strength of our gathering and the unity,” he said to the crowd. “As long as we have love, as long as we have peace, as long as we have resilience and as long as we have faith, we will have a free Palestine.”
Check out our full coverage of the event here:
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