Staff photo by Doug Strickland /
Empowerment Church pastor David Banks poses for a portrait at Camp Jordan on Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2018, in East Ridge, Tenn. Banks is running a half marathon on Sept. 8 to raise money for the Children's Advocacy Center.A local minister is hoping to show that just one person can make a difference for others by being the only runner in a half-marathon to raise money for abused children.
David Banks, pastor of Empowerment Church, will run about 14 miles at Camp Jordan Arena on Sept. 8. He'll run around the 2-mile track seven times to complete his race. He'll start running at 8 a.m. People who want to cheer him on should come around 10 a.m. He expects it will take three and a half hours to finish.
"I've set up this half-marathon. It starts with me," he said. "We all hear the phrase 'If we all came together, we can do this.,' I say if you want to make a difference, you be an initiator."
Staff photo by Doug Strickland /
Empowerment Church pastor David Banks poses for a portrait at Camp Jordan on Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2018, in East Ridge, Tenn. Banks is running a half marathon on Sept. 8 to raise money for the Children's Advocacy Center.He hopes to present the Children's Advocacy Center of Hamilton County with at least $1,000 by the end of the race. He welcomes sponsors to contribute to the cause.
Lisa Moore, the center's director of external affairs, says she appreciates the money and attention that Banks gives to child sexual abuse through his run.
"Child sexual abuse is unimaginable to most of us and therefore a very difficult topic to talk about," she says. "People want to ignore it, but it doesn't mean that its not happening."
The center saw about 600 children last year. All of them are alleged victims of child sexual abuse or severe physical abuse.
Banks' marathon demonstrates third-party giving to the center, Moore says. It's when an outside party has an event and does all the work, then presents the advocacy center with a check.
She says the $1,000 will provide intake therapy and intervention for one child.
Banks, who holds a doctorate in psychology, started discussing the marathon after his 50th birthday in June.
"I want to stretch myself, but I also want to impact people's lives," he says.
He and other local authors wrote a leadership book titled "It Starts With Me: Courageous Questions for the Fearless Leader's Heart." He describes it as a book of questions that leaders need to ask themselves.
Banks is also the human-resources coordinator with the city of Chattanooga and the father of two sons and a daughter.
He wants to influence people to make a difference with their lives.
Many people talk about the good that could happen if only everyone got together, he says. "Sometimes you need to do something and that could jump-start people to get on board."
He developed a deep concern for abused children after visiting orphanages in India, his wife Sylvia's home country. Together, they saw the need to assist local children after providing respite relief to foster-care parents and grandparents.
"If you want to see the change in the world," says Banks, "take the initiative to make it happen."
Contact Yolanda Putman at yputman@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6431.