Two races will be held in Searcy in the coming months and both will benefit victims of sexual abuse.
“Light up the Streets” is a 5K run hosted by the White County Children’s Safety Center. The WCCSC is a non-profit child advocacy center that works to help children who have been victims of physical and sexual abuse. They are currently helping about 25-30 victims per month. Robin Connell, an employee, is in charge of organizing the events that are held.
“We exist to help children and their families navigate the investigative system,” Connell said. “We want to make that process a lot easier for them.”
Connell has teamed up with Harding’s Campus Activities Board to organize the race. Volunteers will be working the registration and water stations and passing out snacks and hot chocolate after the race.
Harding students have already formed several teams. Carly Edwards is part of a team of 15 that plans on running the 5K.
“My friends and I saw the sign advertising the run and thought it would be fun,” Edwards said. “When we realized what the cause was, we really decided to do it because of that.”
This race will be different from a lot of 5Ks that have been hosted in Searcy before. It will be night, and the path will be lit with glow in the dark balloons and black lights. Participants will be given glow-in-the-dark bracelets and necklaces to wear while running. In order to honor the victims, runners will have the first name of a victim on their bib.
“We want people to understand that this is a fun event,” Connell said. “Our goal is for these runners to remember as they’re racing and having a good time that we’re doing this to honor the work that we do here for these kids.”
“Light up the Streets” will be on Saturday, Feb. 23. The race will start at 7 p.m. and registration will start at 5:30 p.m. To register visit www.whitecountycsc.com or ‘like’ the Facebook page.
On April 6, a race will be held on Harding’s campus to promote living a pure lifestyle. Brooke Walker, a Harding sophomore, and her brother David Walker, the women’s basketball assistant coach, are working together to organize the “Race to be Pure” 5K.
“We want to promote and encourage purity in a world where purity isn’t a priority for many people, especially with our generation,” Brooke Walker said. “Living a pure lifestyle is a constant race. It’s not just a decision you make, it’s an everyday commitment to our Father and to what he asks of us.”
All proceeds from the race will go to a non-profit organization called OATH (Oklahomans Against Trafficking Humans). The organization works to rescue girls all over the United States who are being forced into human trafficking.
The cost of the run is $15, and a T-shirt is included. Registration forms can be found on Facebook by “liking” the “Race to be Pure” event page.
