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Miss Utah 2025 Jordyn Bristol, third from left, holds a 5K fundraiser at Lehi Sports Park on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025, to benefit Utah families facing hunger.

Curtis Booker, Daily Herald

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Aria Conran, right, and Noelle Condie, left, run in a 5K fundraiser at Lehi Sports Park on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025, to benefit Utah families facing hunger.

Curtis Booker, Daily Herald

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Community members gather during a 5K fundraiser at Lehi Sports Park on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025, to benefit Utah families facing hunger.

Curtis Booker, Daily Herald

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Miss Utah 2025, Jordyn Bristol, center, holds 5K fundraiser at Lehi Sports Park on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025, to benefit Utah families facing hunger.

Curtis Booker, Daily Herald

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Children and families going hungry is an issue in our state that doesn’t sit well with Miss Utah 2025, Jordyn Bristol.

Fighting food insecurity has been a passion of Bristol’s long before she was crowned Miss Utah back in June, but she’s already making the most out of her statewide platform.

On Saturday morning, Bristol hosted her first event as Miss Utah, combining her love for running and determination of reducing food insecurity with the “Outnumber Hunger” 5K, and a 1-mile fun run at Lehi Sports Complex.

“I’m a huge runner, and I think that there’s a huge runner community within Utah as well,” she said. “It just made sense for me to do an event right before the Miss America (pageant), as well as just to promote my initiative that mixes my two passions of food-insecurity work and running.”

Roughly 30 participants who also shared a similar passion for combatting hunger in Utah ran or walked as part of the event, with all proceeds raised going to Tabitha’s Way Local Food Pantry in northern Utah County.

Former Miss Lehi Aria Conran was one of the many who ran the 5K race.

She praised Bristol’s efforts for teaming up with local resource providers and believes that increased community involvement and conversations about financial and community resources are crucial for addressing food insecurity.

“There’s so many people in Utah that are currently struggling with food insecurity, and the fact that she is advocating for this cause, it’s really inspiring. I’m so glad to be able to support her,” said Conrad, who is also planning to compete in the Miss Universe pageant to also promote financial literacy and wellness, which aligns with Bristol’s platform.

Bristol estimated Saturday morning that the event had raised around $1,100.

Those who opted not to partake in the activity were also welcomed to bring donations for the food pantry.

Bristol, 26, recalled a heart-wrenching story from her time volunteering at Tabitha’s Way shortly after moving to Utah in 2020, when she met a family facing a stressful time.

“I met a mom there who had three kids in her car. It was a really packed, busy minivan. And in speaking to that mom, I had just learned that her husband died about two months (prior) from COVID-19,” she recounted. “And from that experience of working at the Spanish Fork Tabitha’s Way (pantry), it just automatically changed my view of what food insecurity could look like.”

According to the Utah Food Bank, 1 in 6 children face hunger, not knowing where their next meal will come from.

For Bristol, the experience of meeting different individuals and families struggling to make ends meet while volunteering at places like Tabitha’s Way and Community Action Services and Food Bank highlighted the widespread issue of food insecurity in Utah.

Kara Smith, community relations representative for Tabitha’s Way said events like Saturday’s 5K and fun run will help aid in purchasing food for the pantry, and increasing awareness about the services the organization provides.

“We’ve seen a lot of families that have come in just in tears, telling us that we’ve helped him in so many ways,” she said. “Not just food, with other resources as well, like maybe rent assistance and things like that.”

Smith said it was encouraging to see such community dedication to helping struggling families.

“Today was just really fun for me to be able to come out and interact with the kids and hand out little gifts to them,” she told the Daily Herald on Saturday. “And the kids had a race as well, so I was able to give them little prizes after and just (to see) the smiles on their faces, just kind of made my day.”

Unfortunately, people battling hunger in Utah is an issue that likely won’t disappear overnight. But Bristol believes the ongoing issue can be addressed little by little with community members getting involved by giving back through events like Saturday, various service projects or at their local food banks.

“I think the easiest thing to do is just show up and just know that regardless of what’s going on in your home, in your own life, there is nothing better than service,” she said. “I think so often, especially mornings like these, where people woke up super early to come and run 3.1 miles, knowing that at the same exact time, one in six kids in this state woke up hungry, just goes to show how much we’re working for these families and how much we’re working for these kids.”

Bristol hopes to expand her message on a national level next month. She’ll travel to Orlando to represent the Beehive State in the Miss America pageant, which is slated for early September.