Tomorrow: First Annual 5K Run/Walk for Rockland Kids

Get your kids out for some sun, raffle prizes and for a good cause. The First Annual 5K Run/Walk for Rockland Children is tomorrow and it's a 3.1-mile course. 

“There will be a Children’s Fun Run which will be the length of a baseball field,” said Renee Pereira-Jersey, Race Director.

Here're the facts:

• Run/Walk will start and end at Cherry Lane Elementary School, 1 Heather Drive, Suffern
• Check in and late registration starts at 8 a.m.
• Run/Walk begins at 9 a.m.
• Entry fee is $20 for participants ages 13 and older.
• Children 12 and under are free.
• Pre-registered participants are guaranteed a race t-shirt.

“I’m a local parent; my family and I are putting on the race,” said Pereira-Jersey. “Prevent Child Abuse NY is our sponsor. All the donations, 100 percent of the proceeds are going to Prevent Child Abuse NY. Except, $5 of each registration fee will go to the Child Advocacy Program under Spirit of Rockland, run out of Good Samaritan Hospital.”

Prevent Child Abuse NY is a not for profit agency dedicated to ending child abuse through prevention programs. Learn more here.

“It is going to be a fun day where families can enjoy being together. A day for families, promoting healthy, happy families,” said Pereira-Jersey. “We are runners, so we decided to ask them if we could add a run. This is the first time a run has been done for Prevent Child Abuse NY.”

Donations Include

• Pitching Machine from Educational Warehouse
• Maserati as a pace car from Wide World of Cars
• Bagels from Bagelicious
• Water from Airmont Eats

There will also be awards and gift cards to Applebee’s and Friendly’s to be raffled off.

• Trophies for top male and female
• Medals for seven categories
• Prizes for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place walkers
• Prize for participant with most donations
• $1 for a ticket
• $5 for 7 tickets

“My husband and I, three sons, 16, 18 and 20. Five years ago we were foster care parents and we adopted two children, a brother and a sister out of foster care” said Pereira-Jersey. “With this background, and after seeing all those situations, if agencies had more funding, maybe these children would be with their parents. To help with it before, so that the children don’t have to go through the abuse.”

“My oldest son will be running in the event with his friends from East Stroudsburg University. My 6 and 9 year old have been helping to stuff brochures” said Pereira-Jersey. “The whole family is helping and this is nice to do with the family. We will be doing this the same time each year.” 

Contact: Renee Pereira-Jersey, Race Director at (845) 357-1767 or safechildrenrockland@yahoo.com