Sean Taylor, DMACC “In My Boots 5K”, April 2, 2026

Today on our program we are visiting with Sean Taylor from Des Moines Area Community College. Psychology professor. Psychology and sociology. Thanks Jim. Good to have you here. Thanks for coming back. Oh, I love it here. He came to talk to us about the In My Boots 5K event.

Twelfth year when I'm looking at that I'm going, it doesn't seem that long ago. No, it seems like yesterday. I'm shocked. Twelve years and you know we lost a year. So it really was 2014 was our first one and we're still doing it. It's still amazing and still working.

For those that don't know, you're a veteran and you had been on duty, active duty, came back to teaching and started doing something, really drawing attention to veterans and some of their issues.

So I deployed with the Iowa National Guard in 2010 with the big call up that we had to go to Afghanistan. There was over 3,000 of us that served in that time. We lost six to combat when we were there. Four from the Iowa Guard, I believe two from Nebraska.

After coming home, we started losing a lot to suicide and maybe 10 to 20 times more than we lost to combat. So that was my view is how can we help the veterans coming back and especially coming back to school.

How can we build a community for them and give them the support they need and the care that they need? That was the idea behind the race initially is to help veteran organizations. You have done things. I know we've mentioned this more than once or I have anyway. 22 pushups.

So yeah, every fall we do a 22 pushup where we get all the students here on the Boone campus together and we do 22 pushups, Army style. And it's a great opportunity.

Once again, just bring the awareness of the high suicide rates that there are among our veteran population but also among 16 to 24 year olds. Once again trying to build that unity and build that community so they can take care of each other.

Yeah, we've had a pretty good response, at least on that. The people that participated outside the girls softball team which seems to dominate. They seem to get involved with it. And again, we've had some of that personal connection here with students on our campus. Right.

The students are great and they're very supportive. The coaches of all the different sports are very supportive of all the students working together and doing things for this community. And so it's been amazing to work with these students over the years.

And we're really excited about this race because we really are going to focus on the community this time working with the Boone Area Veterans Center. And we're really excited about that partnership.

Yeah, it was one of those things that every year we know when we get ready for the In My Boots that the proceeds are going somewhere, into some effort. And then all of a sudden this year it was, yeah, for the Boone Area Veterans Center.

And again, it'd be a great opportunity to go ahead and help that along too. Let's talk a little bit about, okay, so we started, you started this, or you, and you had students that stepped up to help out, I believe. Yes. That helps a lot.

We've had really good student involvement over the years. We focused on, we have the students choose the organization that we're working with. So we've had a variety. Started off with Wounded Warrior, but then we moved more local. We did Paws and Effect with Service Dogs.

We've done some local veteran groups that were tied to the Iowa National Guard. We're just always looking to see where we can best help. And when, it was actually Fred Greiner that told me about Boone Area Veterans Center. And I was like, that's where we need to focus this year.

And we need to get the students who come to D. Mag Boone to know that there's also the city of Boone. There's more of the community, yes. And well, let's talk a little bit about, we started out, or you started doing the, let's talk a little bit about the 5K.

In McCose Park, we've had everything from snow, again, to very pleasant weather conditions. This year, you really would like to see more community coming. Again, you don't have to come and run. You don't have to carry a rucksack. But come and be a part of it.

We really want to bring the community in. And we want to bring people in, too, that get scared when you say 5K run or 5K rock or carrying a backpack. We want you to come. We'll be at the main McCose shelter. And we're going to have a live band.

We're going to have pancake breakfast for everybody. The local post here for the VFW will be doing the honor guard to start it off a 21-gun salute.

And we want to honor veterans also that have served here from Boone and have them come and just have a free breakfast, hang out, meet people, and then let the crazy people run. And if you want to go for a walk, hey. Yeah, go for a walk. Oh, what a beautiful park.

So we can do that. Now, I- We're praying for perfect weather. Like you said, we've had everything from little twisters to snow, sleet, hail, all on the same day. So- Look, it's outdoors in the springtime. So we do have the shelter. So come anyway.

Enjoy the band and just enjoy the people. So pancake breakfast, we have a student group who's decided to help out. And so we're having this pancake breakfast, so it's all you can eat.

And if you want to give a free will donation, great, because it's going to Boone Area Veterans Center. But if not, just come and eat. Bring your kids.

We'll have, of course, we'll hit the stores following this weekend to get all the chocolate rabbits that we like to hand out and other great things for the kids. So it's a great opportunity all the way around for the family.

Now, one thing you've done, and this year it's going to be kind of has morphed a little bit on what you do, but you've always had a shadow, kind of a shadow run going along with it because you've had connections with the troops that have been on active duty at the time.

And a lot of them have participated in Afghanistan or in Iraq, wherever they happen to be stationed. So they've been all over the world.

But this year, a little different because you had been setting it up and the group that you were going to be working with is one of those that was struck. Right. So over the years, we've done shadow runs.

We actually the first one was our second annual run because I was in Iraq and very sad that I wasn't here for my race. And so we did that with my troops overseas. It was a really great event.

We followed it up a few years later with another faculty member that was serving in Kuwait. We've done it just last year. We had a group in Kuwait.

Also this year, one of the reserve units that I because I serve both in the Guard and the Reserve, the Reserve Unit, the 103rd ESC from Fort Des Moines, they were stationed in Kuwait and we had planned to do the shadow run with them where I was working with one of the majors overseas to get that together.

And then they were the group that was hit by the drones and they lost six of their soldiers. And their mission has changed and they will be home for the race.

And we plan to honor that group and invite their family and their friends to come to this race and honor the six that gave their lives for us. Darrell Bock Okay. So again, that group will – well, they could come and participate and some of them might be participating.

John Deeben Yes, and I already know some of them signed up because we were working, but we wanted to just open it up for also just families to come together and grieve together too and feel the love and support of Iowans.

Darrell Bock To get signed up for this, and again, not hard to do, get me registered dot com. I think just – John Deeben Get me registered. Darrell Bock Yeah, get me registered. And if you just put in – John Deeben Put in Boone.

Search Boone or search in my boots or DMACC and it will pop right up. You can also stop by the campus and register. Come to the cafe, get a coffee, like a lot of people do.

And we even have – there's a group of men who come every Monday and they actually sponsored – help sponsor the race. And so it's just – it's a great time. It's – Darrell Bock This one, again, come and sign up.

And if you sign up, again, do the get me registered, you can run if you want. You can – again, it's up to you what you want to do, but you can get yourself a shirt.

John Deeben Yeah, so there's a shirt always with it, and we've had local sponsors that helped pay for the cost of the shirt. And so the shirt looks great. It says 12th Annual Run on the front and Supporting Boone Area Veterans Center.

And then on the back with the list of the sponsors, nice soft cotton t-shirt. It's a collector's item. I like to say I have every year on my wall in my office. And this year is going to be special because this may be the last in my boots run.

And so next year we're looking at the 100 years of Boone Junior College and DMACC together. And so we're going to focus more on that. And so this is our last year really to honor the veterans in this community and reach out. And so get that shirt. It will be worth a lot.

And even if you don't miss their, don't get registered and signed up to be a participant, there are registration up to the point. If shirts are available, if they are available. John Deeben Right, you can come day of. And it always shows that it costs more, like $30 a day out.

But I just- John Deeben You don't worry too much about it. John Deeben I don't worry too much. If you made it there, we'll get you the shirt and we'll get you the pancakes and we'll get you everything that you need.

But one of the other parts, the ruck march, which I've always heard agree to bring cereal and marshmallows. John Deeben That's what I always say, yeah. John Deeben Much lighter than the canned goods.

But you have people that really, and again, it's food that comes and goes for the food pantries and will be distributed locally. John Deeben So that is one of the things that we thought of right away when we put this race together initially is the idea of in my boots.

So what is it like to be a military member overseas and carrying the ruck and carrying almost your whole life when you're going from place to place. And so we asked you to bring a backpack full of nonperishable food items.

I remember one of the veterans, and maybe I think it was our third or fourth year that filled his pack with 150 pounds of canned goods and barely made it through the race. So I always tell people, you know, there's cereal, there's marshmallows, there's other things.

What we do, we help locally here with Connect. We help Food at First and Ames. And we also help the DMACC community, especially like the Urban Campus and others where food insecurity is an issue. John Deeben A little more prevalent again.

We still have our own food pantry here locally, too. John Deeben Right. That's what I'm saying here. We usually get enough that we can share around. Which is good. So you can bring along canned food items if you wish as well.

Again, we want really, the big thing is we want the community to know, come on out and whether you want to run, whether you want to walk, you can do whatever. Just come and talk to people. Just come and be there. Come hang out.

We're pet friendly as long as your dog doesn't want to eat any of us. We're good. We've had strollers. We've had women run the race that were nine months pregnant, so there's no excuse. We have. Come and just be there. And that's the most, I just want people there.

I want to celebrate. I want to honor the veterans that have served. And I just want that community together and show the boon love that we have in this town for everyone. Sure. We, again, it is the 5K, well, it's called In My Boots 5K.

It's going to be on April 25th, so far enough away. Have time to get yourself registered and signed up. And again, whether you make that work or not, again, get me registered. That's the easy way to go get me registered into DMACC or 5K or Boone. And you'll find it.

It'll be there. And if you need help, you can always stop by the campus like Shawn said. So breakfast will start probably a little after eight. The race doesn't start until 10.

But like I said, we want to just have this community breakfast available to come and just enjoy and watch others run. That's always fun, too, just watching other people do it. And then we will keep it going.

The breakfast will continue after the race for those who have run and would like to... I would like to replenish. Replenish. Yeah. Again, members of the reserve, the unit, we don't know who all might be here.

But like you said, some have already signed up to be participants in the run. So you will have a separate kind of recognition for them. And the National Guard is coming home, too. We hope to have some National Guard members come. We also lost, as you know, two in Syria.

So anyone who's tied to these families come. And that's an honor those who have served. And once again, proceeds are going to be directed towards the Boone Area Veterans Center. And a project that's slow but sure, they're doing the fundraising to get it to work.

And this will be a big, big opportunity for people to contribute to it, too. So thank you. Pretty excited about getting... Well, we're early enough. And if we get great weather, and if April goes away the rest of the months... If April went like February did, then we're good.

We'll see. We need that 80-degree weather. Yeah. And we had quite a bit of that towards the end of March, too. I don't know if we want to go 90s, but you know what? It's going to be a great weekend coming up, the 25th. And folks, you can come on out.

Again, Methmaine Shelter House. It's going to be at McCose Park. And if you're just coming out for the breakfast, that's great. Any kind of support you want to give for the effort, we'd like that, too. And we'll just continue doing the 22 push-ups. You don't have to do those.

That's a whole DMACC thing that's going on. You can come and enjoy that, too. Yeah, you can. You have it, too. You do have a number of students and student groups that are always stepping up to help out and can't say too much about how.

Yeah, the In My Boot student group does amazing work. We also have the Honors Group, Phi Theta Kappa, and the DMACC Honors that are helping this year. Also, we also will have recruiters there from the reserve and from the National Guard.

And they'll have plenty of bling and other things to hand out to people. Information how you can help support them, too. Yeah, exactly. Thank you. Sean Taylor, our guest on our program today.

I do appreciate you taking time to come and visit with us and let folks know what's going on, especially with this 5K In My Boots. Looking forward to having a bigger event than ever. The biggest and best. Let's go for that. Thanks for joining us. Thank you, Jim.