During my reign as the Pilgrimage Garden Club queen, I decided to run a half marathon in New Orleans.

After I ran it, I thought it would be a great idea to give back to my city by putting on a half marathon in Natchez.

People travel all over the place, and we already know tourism is huge in Natchez.

I wanted to give people a reason to visit Natchez around Christmastime.

I decided to give a portion of the proceeds to the restoration of our historic homes, which are crucial for tourism.

This is where I got the name “Holly.” Originally, it was going to be called “Save the Holly Half marathon and 5K” like the fundraiser ball the garden club puts on in the spring, but I shortened it to “Holly” to make it more inclusive. 

The other portion of the proceeds went to the Stewpot. I was able to raise $12,000 total last year giving $6,000 to each cause.

In fact, the Stewpot was able to give out nearly 100,000 meals to the hungry with money the event raised.
Since I had such a good turnout for last year’s event, I decided to add another charity. 

Before my reign as the Pilgrimage Garden Club Queen, my page Mary Blair Johnson was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. In honor of Mary Blair, this year’s
2019 race will not only benefit our local causes but also the Juvenile Diabetes Research of Jackson.

Johnson’s father, Forrest, is also an avid runner, so I thought it would be a great idea to make this event something Mary Blair and her family, and I can share for as long as possible.

This year’s Holly Half and 5K race will be on Dec. 21 starting on Broadway Street and ending at the Natchez Brewing Company.

Lansing Brakenridge is the promoter of the Holly Half and 5K race.