Runners in reindeer antlers and holiday costumes will take over the Rock Hill Criterium Course on Saturday, December 5, 2026, for the third annual 4.01K Reindeer Run, a race built to raise money for a York County nonprofit that sends trained volunteers into disaster zones across the country and around the world. Registration opens at 8:30 a.m. at 1307 Riverwalk Parkway, with the first race starting at 9 a.m.
The run, presented by the Transamerica Foundation, benefits Crisis Response International, a faith-based nonprofit headquartered in Rock Hill. According to the event listing on RunSignUp, the day includes a 4.01K run/walk billed as the flagship costume event and open to runners and walkers of every pace, a 10K, and a Reindeer Relay in which four-person teams each cover a 1.1-mile loop. Organizers say the course sits along Riverwalk Parkway in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
Beyond the races, the event is built around introducing the community to CRI's work. The listing notes that attendees can tour the organization's deployment gear, meet responders after the races, and take part in a kids costume contest, a giveaway, food and music. Children five and under can run free and do not need to register, and the listing specifies the race goes on rain or shine, with non-refundable registration fees.
Who Runs Crisis Response International
Sean and Laura Malone founded Crisis Response International in 2007 as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, according to Crisis Response International. The organization describes its mission as training and equipping churches and individuals to respond to the physical, spiritual and emotional needs that surface during crises, and says its work shares the hope of Jesus through responders' words and actions. CRI is based in York County and sends trained volunteers to serve communities both across America and abroad.
The two sides of the organization give slightly different figures for its reach. Crisis Response International itself says it has trained nearly 20,000 volunteer responders and missionaries, while co-founder Sean Malone told the Post and Courier, “We've trained over 20,000 people over 20 years.” The group has responded to natural disasters, humanitarian emergencies and conflicts, including a three-month deployment to the community around Asheville, North Carolina, after Hurricane Helene in 2024.
A Year of Deployments, From Helene to Nepal
CRI's reach extended overseas this year as well. The Post and Courier reported the group sent teams to Nepal, Venezuela and other locations in 2026 to assist natural-disaster survivors, and the newspaper also reported that CRI had relocated its headquarters and all of its emergency supplies from Virginia to Rock Hill. Separately, WBTV reported that the Rock Hill-based organization sent crews to help communities hit by floods and landslides in Nepal, noting the group is based in Rock Hill but responds to disasters around the world. WBTV also reported that CRI's team planned to continue offering medical help in Nepal's impact zone through Sept. 24.
Sean Malone has framed the Reindeer Run as a way for the local community to stand behind those responders directly. He has said families need trained, equipped responders ready before disasters strike, and that the race lets the local community support the people who answer that call. Malone has also said people can help in several ways — by running, walking, giving or training to become responders themselves.
Per the Post and Courier, CRI has held the Charity Reindeer Run for several years, with this year's run set for Rock Hill's Criterium Course. Residents looking to get involved can register for one of the races, donate directly to the nonprofit, or pursue responder training through the organization. Businesses and other organizations can also partner with CRI to help keep trained people and emergency supplies ready for the next crisis.
