Submitted story

Run with Heart will take place starting at the Depot Coffeehouse on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. The race will begin at 9 a.m.

Participants may choose to complete a one-mile fun walk/run or 5K (3.11 miles) race. The event is designed for everyone. If you are a slow-paced walker or a fast runner, this race is for you. Dogs and strollers are also welcome. The race will take place on the Simon Kenton bike path, which will be showcasing its beautiful fall colors.

Participants who pre-register by Sept. 22 will receive a t-shirt and the first 100 pre-registered participants will receive a goody bag. You may register for the event at runsignup.com; paper registrations are available on the Run with Heart Facebook page. Participants may also register the morning of the event from 8-8:30 a.m. but will not receive a shirt.

We welcome everyone to participate in the one mile with any monetary donation the morning of the event. Awards will be given to the top 3 male and female participants in each age category for the 5K.

This is the fifth year that the committee has held a race. This year, Run with Heart, will benefit Lifewise Academy in all 5 local school districts in Champaign County.

Lifewise is a nationwide program of Bible education for public school and home-school students during school hours. Lifewise works to broaden a student’s exposure to moral and character education though concepts like gratitude, respect, responsibility, and serving others while also teaching how Jesus loves them and how He served as an example of how they can treat others.

This is all done by meeting once a week for about 45 minutes to learn Bible stories through exciting activities, crafts, music, etc. similar to a typical vacation Bible school. These sessions are scheduled by coordinating with each local school administration to set up pre-determined times when integral classroom teaching time will not be missed.

Backed by the “release-time education” decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, this program must be privately funded, held off of school property, and each student must have permission from their parent or guardian to attend. The Lifewise program began with 2 schools in 2018. Through the development of their high-quality curriculum, caring staff, and extensive network of volunteers, it has grown to 581 schools in 29 states and counting. The program began serving Urbana and Graham students in just a few grades last school year.

This fall, Urbana will be expanding to serve grades 1-8 with over 120 students already enrolled. Graham will be expanding to include grades 2-5 with more than 65 students to start out the year. Triad and Mechanicsburg are both set to begin classes this coming fall. Triad is planning to begin with 2nd grade and Mechanicsburg is set to begin with grades 3-4.

The West Liberty Lifewise team is working through the organizational steps to hopefully begin sometime in the ’24-’25 school year. These groups are not sponsored by any one particular church or denomination, but are made possible by a collection of local churches, businesses, and many local community-minded individuals. All 5 Champaign County programs are actively seeking volunteers and donors (both business and individual). There are potential staff and board of director openings in some programs as well. Lifewise.org has all the information including a “Find Your school” link to see contact info for your local program and to find out how to get involved and/or enroll your student.

Run with Heart is sponsored by Held by Him, which is a local nonprofit organization. We are committed to local and international ministry. To learn more about Held by Him, visit heldbyhim.org.

We are pleased to announce the business sponsors of this year’s race: Blessing Roofs, B. Edwards Surveying, KTH Parts Industries, Orbis, Renewed Strength Church, River of Life and Thrivent. We are still accepting new sponsors until Sept. 1.

Run with Heart is a great event that not only brings the community together, it also provides assistance to those in our community who need encouragement.

If you or your business would like to be involved, please contact Lisa Blake at [email protected].

Submitted by event organizers