Volunteers from God's Love We Deliver have been running around the city for 30 years, delivering free meals to sick New Yorkers.  On Sunday, thousands of runners raced for the charity as the annual "Race to Deliver" kicked off in CentralPark as NY1's Tara Lynn Wagner reports.

Runners didn't seem to notice the chill Sunday morning. The annual "Race to Deliver" warmed their bodies, and knowing they were raising money for an important cause warmed their hearts.  

"It's only 4 miles, so it's shorter than running the marathon 3 weeks ago," said runner John O'Mahoney. "And it's a great race. I mean, it's a great cause. Race to Deliver. The money goes to charity right before Thanksgiving."

The charity is God's Love We Deliver, which has been a staple in the city for 30 years, delivering nutritious meals to people too sick to cook or shop for themselves. 

"It sort of is our race every single day to deliver the meals that we have prepared for our clients and to make sure that they get to their homes in a timely and food safe way," said Karen Pearl, president and CEO of God's Love We Deliver.

Although originally focused on New Yorkers living with HIV and AIDS, the group now delivers 5,700 meals a day to people suffering from 200 different diagnoses. That's 1.4 million meals a year.

Following the race, kids as young as two years old got to test their mettle in a series of sprints. The goal is to inspire families to embrace a healthy habit.

"It's really important to lead by example," said Michael Capiraso, president and CEO of New York Road Runners. "By people running, moving, and get healthy, it helps."

Although to be honest, the kids were more interested in embracing victory.

"Why do you like running races?"

 "Because I win," said five-year-old Solomon.

"And I like getting medals, and we never had a medal before," said another five-year-old.

In the end, it's the organization that wins, as the event is expected to raise $400,000 — enough to help God's Love We Deliver prepare and distribute 40,000 meals.

"I think the organization, in bringing food to people that can't cook for themselves or can't care for themselves, is a really intimate way of getting involved in other people's lives," said Thomas Zuzelo, a runner from Hell's Kitchen. 

"It's a pivotal time of the year where people who are hungry the whole year really want to enjoy what we enjoy every Thanksgiving so it makes for a great cause and I'm glad to be a part of it," said Tracy Dimaculangan, a runner from Fresh Meadows. 

Well, the race may be over, but the effort continues. If you'd like to support the organization and help pay for a meal this holiday season, or any time, you can visit Gods Love We Deliver's web site.