ROCKY MOUNT, Va. – The 16th annual Johnny CASA 5 miler and 5k race is Saturday, Dec. 18th at 9 a.m. and organizers are looking for as many racers as possible.
Whether you are a runner or a walker, you can join in on the race. There will be a 5-mile run, a 5K run and a 5K walk. The course goes through downtown Rocky Mount. It features a downhill start and a downhill finish. There will be food, music, giveaways and medals. Each runner will also get a purple race t-shirt.
“While people are finishing, pictures are being taken and people gathering in the parking lot. Runners and walkers of like minds, you know they gather and carry on their conversations, what happened, how they did, how they felt. ‘I haven’t seen you in a while,’ that kind of thing,” said Johnny Nolan, the event organizer.
This race isn’t just about a chance to get outside and be active, it also benefits the Southern Virginia Child Advocacy Center. The center helps provide care and help to children who have faced family and community-based violence. They work with children to get them access to mental health services and provide a place for children to speak freely about their experiences.
“Sometimes children in these situations don’t have a safe place to go and talk about it. We provide that safety for children. Children are our number one goal and keeping kids safe,” said Taylor Gunter from the Advocacy Center.
The center relies heavily on donations. The Johnny CASA 5K provides a large portion of those donations and they are excited to see all the runners on Saturday.
If you would like to sign up for the race, click here.