Big House 5K: Supporting Local Washtenaw County
The 2026 Big House 5K will benefit six local, non-profit organizations that directly address the needs of our community across a variety of areas of service. We encourage race participants to support these great causes by learning more about their work, volunteering to support their efforts and by making an additional donation.
- Cass Community Social Services is a Detroit nonprofit which offers food, housing, medical and mental health care, as well as vocational training programs that address personal and systemic poverty. The agency has been recognized as an incubator for innovative environmental ideas, and it has actively engaged the larger neighborhood in its efforts to accomplish community development on and off its pedestrian “campus.” Cass prepares and serves 700,000 meals a year, houses 400 unsheltered men, women, and children a night, operates a free weekly medical clinic and a day program for adults with developmental disabilities, and offers vocational training and green jobs for unemployed and under-employed adults. Our tiny homes program creates the opportunity for low-income individuals to become homeowners. 4,000 people volunteer at Cass each year.
- » https://www.casscommunity.org
- Fisher Houses are comfort homes where military & Veterans’ families can stay free of charge, while a loved one is in the hospital. There are TWO Fisher Houses in Michigan, each with 16 private suites, with mobility-accessible bedrooms and baths. Families share a common kitchen, laundry, dining room, an inviting living room, and a peaceful back patio. Between Ann Arbor & Detroit, the VA Fisher Houses offer up to 11,680 nights of cost-free lodging each year. With nearly half a million Veterans in Michigan, and the cost of healthcare rising, the need for cost-free lodging while receiving medical treatment is more important than ever. With your help, Fisher House Michigan provides meals, local transportation, overflow hotel stays, comfort items, and more. You help make sure that no one ever has to reach into their pocket for anything while staying in a VA Fisher House. Our Veterans earned our support, and they deserve to have their loved ones nearby ... because LOVE is good medicine!
- » https://www.fisherhousemichigan.org
- Food Gatherers is the food bank and food rescue program serving Washtenaw County! Today, 1 in 7 of our neighbors is experiencing food insecurity, meaning they do not have enough nutritious food to live a healthy life. Food insecurity is impacting more individuals than we’ve seen in over a decade. To meet this increased need, Food Gatherers is purchasing and distributing record amounts of food. Individuals and households are accessing food pantries much more frequently to help make ends meet. If you count every person Food Gatherers served last year, every time we served them, we could fill the Big House almost 10 times over. Food Gatherers distributes food through our programs, including the Community Kitchen, Summer Food Service Program, and Healthy School Pantry Program, and through our network of 140 partner pantries. Your support keeps nutritious food flowing to the individuals and families who need it. Thank you for your generosity, and happy racing!
- » https://www.foodgatherers.org
- Our Community Reads is committed to creating safe spaces for Black children to feel seen, valued, celebrated and empowered primarily in the 48197/48198 zip codes. At Our Community Reads, we believe in the power of reading, learning, and community to uplift Black families. We are committed to the healing of our community through literacy, creating spaces where stories build connection and strength. With a special focus on Black families who too often have fewer opportunities, we open doors for young people by sharing experiences that spark possibility—college visits, hands-on learning, and life-skills programs that prepare them for what’s ahead. Together, we nurture a sense of belonging where students are seen, supported, and encouraged to dream big and achieve even more.
- » https://www.ourcommunityreads.com
- The Shelter Association of Washtenaw County (SAWC) is an adult-only homeless shelter in downtown Ann Arbor, operating since 1982. We support individuals experiencing homelessness for the first time, as well as veterans, domestic violence survivors, and people facing substance use or mental health challenges. SAWC provides housing-focused services through programs including Residential, Non-Residential/Shelter Diversion, Critical-Time Intervention, Pathways, The Bail Project, Recuperative Care, Rotating Shelter, Housing Crisis Stabilization, and Winter Programs. We also offer essential on-site resources, including a cafeteria run by Food Gatherers, a medical clinic operated by Packard Health, showers, laundry, storage, and a mailing address. SAWC began its work at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church and continues to serve as a haven for the community today.
- » https://www.annarborshelter.org
- T. Wall Foundation works to support children with special needs and their families across Washtenaw, Livingston, and Wayne counties. They provide critical resources — like beds, clothing, furniture, and holiday gifts — to families experiencing financial hardship. They also create joyful, inclusive experiences through events such as game-day outings, “Victors Day,” holiday-season shopping, basketball tournaments, bowling nights, and the annual “Hot Dog Stand.” In all they do, the Foundation aims to foster a community of dignity, inclusion, and belonging — helping special needs youth and their families feel supported, valued and connected.
- » https://www.twallfoundation.org
Previous Big House 5K Beneficiaries
2025
Big Brothers Big Sisters of SE Michigan
Community Family Life Center
The Corner Health Center
Foundations Preschool
Girls Group
Habitat for Humanity Huron Valley
2024
826 Michigan
Avalon Housing
Community Action Network
New Day Foundation for Families
Team Impact
Willow Run Acres
2023
Freshwater Future
Packard Health
U-M Adaptive and Inclusive Sports Experience (UMAISE)
U-M Weight Management
Washtenaw Area Council for Children
Women and Men Working for Change
2022
Fostering Futures
Hire MI Vet
Legacy Land Conservancy
Nonprofit Enterprise at Work (NEW)
Riverside Arts Center
The Women's Center of Southeastern Michigan
2021
Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living
Brilliant Detroit
Maize and Blue Cupboard
Michigan Medicine COVID-19 Philanthropic Fund
Our House
Sage Metro Detroit
2020
Huron River Watershed Council
Freedom House Detroit
PAVE – Peer Advisors for Veteran Education
SOS Community Services
U-M Addiction Center
Washtenaw Literacy
2019
Child Care Network
Digital Inclusion
Growing Hope
Michigan Foster Care Closet
Michigan Medicine – Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP)
Telling It
2018
Cancer Support Community of Greater Ann Arbor
The Family Learning Institute
Ozone House
Regional Alliance for Healthy Schools
SafeHouse Center
Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels
2017
Ann Arbor Summer Festival
Avalon Housing
Buddy-to-Buddy Volunteer Veteran Program (UMHS)
Hands Across the Water
Michigan Ovarian Cancer Alliance
U-M Comprehensive ALS Clinic
2016
Chad Tough Foundation
Community Action Network
Men of Michigan Prostate Research Fund
Michigan Glee Club
North Star Reach
U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center Patient and Family Services
2015
826 Michigan
Ann Arbor Meals on Wheels
Ann Arbor YMCA
Dance Marathon at U-M
Project Healthy Schools
Special Olympics Michigan
2014
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washtenaw County
Food Gatherers
Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley
Humane Society of Huron Valley
Team Red, White and Blue of Ann Arbor
University Musical Society, K-12 Education Programs
