Lynchburg area runs celebrate real-life heroes

• Court Appointed Special Advocates’ Superhero Run raises money to train advocates who are appointed to neglected or abused children by judges.
• Valley View Mike Donahue 5 Miler commemorates former Liberty ROTC professor who was killed in action in Afghanistan.

“All children need heroes, but abused children need superheroes.”

These are the words emblazoned on the Court Appointed Special Advocates’ website as they gear up for the third annual Superhero 5K on Nov. 4.

According to Tami Jacob, the Development Director for CASA of central Virginia, the race helps raise money and bring awareness to the issue of neglected and abused children in the central Virginia area.

“It’s a great way to educate our community about the importance of being vigilant and aware of child abuse while doing it in a fun family setting,” Jacob said.

According to Jacob, the entire family will be able to enjoy the race. In addition to the 5K and a one mile run for children, there will be a festival area with a DJ, bounce-houses, face painting and real superheroes like policemen, Jacob said.

“The best part about our race is that it’s fun for the entire family,” Jacob said. “The whole family can do the 5K.”

Each participant is given the option to fundraise and is eligible to receive a collectors medal, a long sleeve shirt or a hoodie depending on the amount that is raised. A special award will be given for the top three fundraisers.

The money that is received from the race goes to the training of advocates who are appointed to children by judges in the 24th judicial district of Virginia.

According to Jacob, anyone can participate in the 5K, even if they do not like to run. Everyone is encouraged to dress as a superhero. With only nine employees, CASA of Central Virginia needs the help of many volunteers to put on an event like the Superhero 5K.

“We could not pull off such a huge event without the amazing help of our volunteers,” Jacob said.

With volunteers coming from all over the community and sponsors, including Liberty University School of Law acting as the presenting sponsor, CASA is able to host an event that impacts many children in the future.

Superheroes and volunteers can register on the CASA of Central Virginia website, lynchburgsuperherorun.com.

For five years, it was known as the Valley View 5 Miler.

In 2014, it became the Valley View Mike Donahue 5 Miler in honor of a man who left his mark on the local community.

A Liberty University alumnus and former assistant professor of military science for Liberty’s ROTC program, Army Major Michael Donahue was killed in active duty in Afghanistan at the age of 41.

With his strong ties to the university and Lynchburg’s running community, organizers of the 5 Miler felt it was only appropriate to dedicate the annual race to Donahue.

Hosted by Liberty Outdoor Recreation in partnership with Riverside Runners, the 2017 Valley View Mike Donahue 5 Miler will commence Saturday, Nov. 11, at 9 a.m. at the Hydaway Outdoor Recreation Center. It will be one of the closing events for Military Emphasis Week at Liberty.

“With Veterans Day being that Saturday, we felt that it made a lot of sense to participate alongside all the other events Liberty does for the veterans,” Outdoor Rec Director Mike Ellsworth said. “(Donahue) was a go-getter. He blended the ability to drive someone with encouraging and caring for someone. Even in my brief interactions with him, he was someone that you wanted to be friends with.”

Awards will be given to the top three male and female runners in each age group and the top male and female overall winners.

“We like to integrate Liberty into the community with events like this,” Ellsworth said. “Camaraderie is something we love to create, and trail running brings people together through a single experience. I’m always encouraged by the environment that happens on a Saturday morning before a race.”

For one of the Outdoor Rec student workers, the hot coffee, pre-race chatter and anticipation make the environment an exciting place to be.

“Race days are the best days,” Danielle Ledgerwood said. “It’s always a chilly morning, but everyone comes to the race excited to be there and it’s awesome to see people bond over something they love to do.”

Ellsworth added that the moment of silence observed in honor of Donahue at the 5 Miler adds a quiet reverence to the event.

“We really want to make sure that Liberty doesn’t forget the accomplishments and work that he did as a soldier, as a runner and as an active member of the Liberty community,” Ellsworth said.

Ellsworth’s hope is that the race will cause the community to reflect and appreciate the sacrifice of those who have served.

“It’s a blessing to be a part of a legacy,” Ellsworth said. “This race is special because it’s our only race that’s dedicated to a person and their memory. When our T-shirts come in and I see ‘Valley View Mike Donahue 5 Miler’ written on them, it’s a reminder that there are people like him who are out serving our country. It’s just something small that we like to do, but it’s a salute to soldiers past and present.”

Registration is open to students and people all of ages until the day of the race. A registration link is available on the Outdoor Recreation webpage, http://www.liberty.edu/campusrec/outdoorrec. Student and military discounts are applied at checkout.