Starting at the Red River on Oklahoma's southern border on Friday, Oct. 23, Eli Morin plans to run 265 miles north to the Kansas line in an attempt to raise $20,000 for children whose lives have been upended by addiction in their families. The runner and fitness trainer aims to reach the Kansas border by Oct. 26, all while trying to set a fastest known time for the route.
Morin, who grew up in Ponca City and now lives in Houston, is partnering with Peaceful Family Oklahoma, a nonprofit that provides trauma-informed programs to children and teens affected by addiction in their families, according to The Journal Record. He chose the organization because he believes every child deserves support, value and hope for their future, per the same report. Morin said that if using his ability to endure something difficult could bring awareness, support and opportunity to even one child, every mile would be worthwhile.
The planned route traces a long diagonal slice of the state, with stops near Thackerville, Marietta, Ardmore, Davis, Pauls Valley, Purcell, Norman, Oklahoma City, Edmond, Guthrie, Perry, Tonkawa, Blackwell and Braman, the outlet reports. That northern stretch roughly mirrors a documented crossing on Fastest Known Time, which describes travelers heading south from the Kansas line through Braman, Blackwell and Tonkawa, then on through Perry, Guthrie and Edmond before continuing south on Highway 77.
Why Peaceful Family Oklahoma Says the Need Is Growing
Peaceful Family Oklahoma says one in four Oklahoma children is affected by addiction in their family, and that those children are eight times more likely to experience addiction themselves, per the nonprofit's account relayed in the same article. The organization, founded in 2014 by a grandfather seeking services for his grandchildren, offers its trauma-informed programs at no cost to families, according to its About page.
The group's peer-to-peer model lets children connect with others who have been through similar experiences, its website states. Kids and teens in the programs learn to recognize their own strengths, practice healthy ways to respond to challenges, and learn about addiction as a brain disease. Peaceful Family Oklahoma also runs therapeutic day camps meant to help participants understand addiction, practice coping skills and build resilience.
The nonprofit says it serves approximately 1,000 children annually, and that demand for its services could triple if more resources were available. Its programs meet children in schools, camps and community settings.
Broader Numbers Behind the Local Push
The scale of the issue Morin is running for extends well beyond Oklahoma. A 2023 estimate found that 19 million children nationwide — one in four Americans under 18 — live with a parent or other adult who meets the definition for a substance use disorder, according to the University of Michigan Medical School. That figure marks an increase from the 17 million estimated in an earlier paper using 2020 data, the university reports. An estimated 6 million children nationwide live with an adult who has both a substance use disorder and a mental illness, per the same source.
Those national trends underscore the gap Peaceful Family Oklahoma says it is trying to close one county at a time, even as Morin's run is designed to put a single, visible effort behind the cause across four days and 265 miles of Oklahoma highway.
How to Follow or Support the Run
Those wanting to donate to Morin's fundraiser can visit PeacefulFamilyOK.org and select the Team Fundraisers button, according to The Journal Record. The run is set to begin at the Red River on Friday, Oct. 23, and wrap up near the Kansas border by the following Monday, if Morin's timeline holds.
