Light In April Fundraiser Encourages Mississippians To 'Move On Up'

Over the weekend, renowned Oxford Chef, John Currence, hosted the second annual Light in April fundraiser benefitting his foundation, Move On Up Mississippi.

The Breakfast of Champions 5K fun run, a three-mile run starting and finishing at Big Bad Breakfast, kicked off Saturday morning, April 8.
“The purpose is to promote healthy lifestyle, healthy activities, especially for young people here in Mississippi,” said Dr. Marving King, president of Run Oxford.
While Currence and King are both advocates of healthier lifestyles in Mississippi, the Light in April race isn’t quite the workout one would expect.
“What’s fun about this race is sometimes we get some folks who dress up in costume. Last year, we had the Easter bunny running the race,” King said. “I think we had some supermans and batmans also running the race, so it’s fun. It gives people a chance to let loose, and also the nice thing about this being a race-sponsored partnership with John Currence is that you always have great post drinks, food. You can count on that.”

The race’s route went to Swayze Field and back to Big Bad Breakfast. Nearly 50 people were signed up for the Breakfast of Champions 5K, but as expected, a few extra walk-ons showed up. Following the race, Big Bad Breakfast provided food options for participants as well as beverages provided by Yalobusha Brewing and blow-up entertainment for children provided by Magnolia Rentals.
Light In April did not stop at the Breakfast of Champions 5K, however. A special dinner was held at the Pavilion Friday night where a handful of James Beard Foundation award-winning chefs showcased their cooking skills.
The meal was deemed “Mexissippi,” a celebration to honor the men and women who work in the restaurant industry. Two community grants were awarded at the dinner and in compliance with The Local Voice, Currence said the purpose is “to identify an entry point in the Oxford/Lafayette community where [their] funding can make the most significant impact on nutrition, education or support of childhood activity programs.”
At $300 a ticket, various local residents held private dinner parties at their homes on Saturday evening where chefs cooked a four to six-course supper with their signature dishes from their restaurants. Local chefs Michael Hudman, Kelly English and Andy Ticer also teamed up with City Grocery Restaurant Group chefs for additional support.
To top off Light In April, a concert was held at the Lyric where the community enjoyed the musical stylings of Oxford’s own Young Buffalo band and St. Paul & The Broken Bones out of Birmingham, Alabama. All proceeds from Light In April benefitted Move On Up Mississippi.

---

By Wes Cooper, an intern for HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at jwcooper@go.olemiss.edu.
For questions or comments, email hottytoddynews@gmail.com.