Sep 30, 2024
15th Annual Run Walk Picnic Draws Nearly 1,200 While Celebrating the Marriage of Two Zamanitarians
The 2024 Run Walk Picnic was held on a stunningly beautiful day in Dearborn’s Ford Field Park with a celebration befitting an event that has brought the community together for 15 years to raise awareness about Zaman’s mission to break the cycle of poverty.
Nearly 1,200 Zamanitarians gathered on Saturday, Sept. 21, a day of family fun that featured a timed 5K run, kids’ runs, a 5K walk, and a picnic in the park with food and activities, including face-painting, basketball contests, a petting zoo, and pony rides.
Zaman was also joined by a team of runners from Ainsley’s Angels — an organization that empowers individuals with disabilities to participate in races around the country to educate, advocate, and celebrate inclusive communities.
But the show stopper, as covered by WXYZ Ch. 7, was when Dearborn residents, Alia Sareini and Morteza Fradi exchanged wedding vows during a ceremony officiated by the honorable Judge David Turfe, who also chairs the Run Walk Picnic.
Alia and Morteza met in October 2023 as part of the Zaman Detroit Run Team, a local running club that helps its members achieve their personal fitness goals while serving the community. Discovering shared values and interests on the running club’s Sunday morning runs sparked a relationship, eventual engagement, and ultimately, the marriage celebrated at the event.
“Since we met through the run team, it is only natural that we would want to celebrate our marriage where it all started. Zaman has become a second family to us,” said Sareini, noting how volunteering for the organization’s Plots for Tots program and Ramadan food drive provided opportunities to serve the community.
“It felt great to share our day with our fellow Zamanitarians, not just because we met through them, but because Zaman fosters such a loving atmosphere. We really felt how happy people were for us, it made the day so much more memorable,” said Fradi.
That was a sentiment shared by event organizer and Zaman Detroit Run Team lead Ali K. Bazzi.
“When the run team learned that two of our runners, Morteza and Alia, wanted to get married, we were overjoyed,” said Bazzi. “We knew we wanted to celebrate this special moment together as a community. With the entire team and community gathered, it felt like the perfect opportunity to celebrate love, compassion, and humanity—especially in times like these when those qualities matter most. Morteza and Alia truly embody these values, and we’re honored to celebrate with them.”
Hundreds of attendees cheered the ceremony looking on from the activities and picnic – a fitting way to wind down the event.
This year’s race winners are available here.
Also, see photos from the event.
Big Thanks to this Year’s Sponsors!
The 15th annual Run Walk Picnic would not have been possible without the generous sponsors, including:
Diamond Sponsor: Hamood Law, PLLC
Platinum Sponsors: AAA Auto Club Group/Middle Eastern and North African Employee Resource Group; Hamzavi Dermatology & Dermatology Specialists
Gold Sponsors: DQ at 4600 Greenfield; Dearborn Federation of Teachers; Elite Air Innovation; El-Sayed Meat Market; RE/MAX Team 2000; Saad Wholesale Meats
Silver Sponsors: Dellah Coffee and Brunch House; Equitable / Progressive Wealth Group; Greenland Markets; The Lending Key; Maison Farola; Mike Dorian Ford; Omnex Accounting & Tax Services; Pat Milliken Ford; Rafic's Falafel; Rising Hope Bakery; RUNdetroit; The University of Michigan – Dearborn.