A thousand runners flooded downtown Huntsville Saturday night to raise money to help people in our area who are homeless.
All the money raised is going straight to the Downtown Rescue Mission, which houses an average of 308 people every night.

WAAY 31 found out the impact that money can have, "this place has literally saved my life," said Sonny Downs.

Downs has been in the year-long program at the rescue mission for four months. When he got there, "I was in a bad place. I was doin' a lot of drugs. Just didn't care about nothin'," said Downs.

That's all changed thanks to the mission, "you get a relationship with god a lot better. We do classes every day. They really help us out," said Downs.

Part of being at the mission includes running in preparation for this glow run, so he could give back.

Tonia Camardella works at the mission. She said the 5K is called a glow run for a reason, "hope glows and the mission is all about hope."

The $39,000 raised from this event will go right to helping the homeless they serve, "for three meals a day, to clothe them, power right now, water to give them a shower," said Camardella.

Downs doesn't like to think about where he would be without the mission, "I would probably, honestly, be dead in a casket somewhere in the ground," said Downs.

Downs told WAAY 31 the rescue mission is helping him create his plan for getting back on his feet for when his year at the mission is over.