The backstory
Savannah Kinchen, a 30-year-old mother and employee at a Webster funeral home, began volunteering with Bay Area Turning Point in fall 2020 to organize a food drive for victims of domestic violence receiving services at the shelter. Bay Area Turning Point was founded in 1991 as a local resource for domestic abuse and sexual assault victims.
In October 2020, Kinchen was shot to death in her home. Her husband, Trent Paschal, was charged with her murder but committed suicide as a wanted fugitive and never stood trial, law enforcement officials from Marion County in Florida, where Paschal was found, said in a report in January 2022.
The Texas Council on Family Violence reported 183 women in the state were killed by their domestic partners that year.
Kinchen’s parents, Shirley Kinchen and Mike Kinchen, and co-workers held the first annual Savannah Memorial Walk in October 2021.
“Part of the reason that ... the 5K is important is because it not only raises awareness, but I think at the event itself, when we talk about the statistics and people know that ... if you're in a group of 10 people and you look around ... one or two of those [people] have been abused or suffered and experienced domestic violence,” said Shirley Kinchen, who now serves on the Bay Area Turning Point board.
The details
This is the first year the race will be held at Hometown Heroes Park, 1001 E. League City Parkway, League City, on Oct. 27 at 8 a.m. Previously, it was held at Forest Park East Cemetery, near the funeral home where Savannah worked.
Webster police officers and Memorial Hermann Southeast Emergency Room nurses will be honored at the event for their support for victims of domestic abuse. Proceeds will benefit Bay Area Turning Point and a scholarship given in Savannah Kinchen’s name at Disciple Oaks Camp, a church camp run by Disciples of Christ that Savannah Kinchen attended as a child.
In 2023, the organizers raised around $15,000 and cumulatively around $40,000 since the first event in 2021, Mike Kinchen said. This year, the Kinchens said they expect about 200 participants.
What else?
Shirley Kinchen said the event isn’t restricted to serious runners only but is open to people who would prefer to walk at a leisurely pace. People can also participate virtually.
Mike Kinchen said he hopes if race participants take anything away from the event, it’s that they feel empowered to speak up if they see warning signs that could be red flags of someone being abused.
A closer look
According to Bay Area Turning Point, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men report having experienced physical violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime.
On any given day, 2,932 people, including children, in Harris County need housing to escape an abuser, according to Bay Area Turning Point, which can shelter up to 72 people. In 2023, Bay Area Turning Point served over 100,000 meals to clients in the shelter.
The shelter also provides child care services, which can be one of the most expensive costs in a parent’s budget. Sybil Winters-Little, senior director of operations at BATP, estimates that the shelter has 35-45 children enrolled in that program at any given time.
“Our clients get to participate in our child care at no cost to them, and it's an opportunity for children who are coming out of trauma crisis,” Winters-Little said. “It's an opportunity for them to come in and experience what it's like to be a kid and not have to worry about what's happening in their home.”
One more thing
To register for the event, visit www.savannahmemorial5k.org. Registration closes Oct. 27, the day of the event.
