Race Website
Additional race information can be found at http://www.njca5k.com.
Description
About the Heroes for Children Event
On October 21st, we will hold our in-person, fun-filled event (rain or shine) at the Essex County South Mountain Recreational Complex in West Orange. Runners and walkers of all ages and abilities come together for a great morning around the beautiful reservoir to raise funds for Child Advocacy Centers and Multidisciplinary Teams in all 21 counties. The 5K run begins at 9am, with packet pickup beginning at 8am. The family fun run/walk, which is a total distance of 1.8 miles (one lap around the reservoir), begins at 10am. Fun family activities - including face painting, balloon animals, popcorn and cotton candy, Batman and his batmobile, and $5 same-day admission to the Turtle Back Zoo - will be available throughout the morning.
Participants who choose the virtual option will have a week, October 14th-21st, in which to run, walk, or bike their 5K distance. During that time, we will have social media challenges and contests with giveaways, for which our sponsors are able to include promotional prizes!
Submit your selfies and photos to our Facebook or Instagram pages or via email with the hashtag #NJCA5K2023 by November 1st.
Prizes will be awarded for virtual participants in the following categories:
Best View on My Run/Walk/Ride: Post a picture of your walk/run/ride scenery. Winner will receive a $25 gift card to Shutterfly to capture all their “best views” & memories.
Dogs Need a 5K Too!: Post a picture of your canine walk/run/ride buddy. Winner will receive a $25 gift card to Chewy.com so you can stock up on dog treats.
I’m a Superhero: Post a picture of your superhero walk/run/ride gear. Winner will receive a $25 gift card to Dunkin or Starbucks (your choice) because you’ll need a boost of caffeine to be a superhero.
Best Race Time: Submit your time using a race app screenshot. Winner with the best time will receive a $25 Visa gift card.
My Team is Better Than Yours: Post a photo in your sports team running/walking/riding gear! Winner will receive a $25 gift card to Dick’s Sporting Goods.
All proceeds will benefit the state's 21 county-based Child Advocacy Centers:
Atlantic County Child Advocacy Center Middlesex County Child Advocacy Center
Bergen County Child Advocacy Center Monmouth County Child Advocacy Center
Burlington County Child Advocacy Center Deirdre's House, Morris County's CAC
Camden County Child Advocacy Center Tina's House, Ocean County's CAC
Cape May County Child Advocacy Center Passaic County Child Advocacy Center
Cumberland County Child Advocacy Center Salem County Child Advocacy Center
Wynona's House, Essex County’s CAC Somerset County Child Advocacy Center
Gloucester County Child Advocacy Center Ginnie's House, Sussex County's CAC
Hudson County Child Advocacy Center Union County Child Advocacy Center
Hunterdon County Child Advocacy Center Warren County Child Advocacy Center
Mercer County Child Advocacy Center
Sponsors
NJCA 5k Flyer
Click the icon below to download the attached PDF.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Five-year-old Miranda* will never forget how she tried to pull her father’s hands away as he murdered her mother in their family home in Iowa. After his arrest, Miranda and her siblings came to New Jersey to live with their grandparents, and she was referred for services to the Child Advocacy Center, where victim advocates helped the family adjust and begin to heal. Since the case was being tried in her home state of Iowa, Miranda was forced to travel there for trial preparation. Using NJCA’s Heroes Fund, the victim advocate was able to purchase a set of luggage and comfort items to help make these trips more comfortable for Miranda and show her that there were many people who cared about her.
Teams at Child Advocacy Centers do everything in their power to meet the many needs of the victims and families they serve – but sometimes, needs arise that cannot be met by their current budgets. A child in crisis may need specialized therapy to start immediately; a teen runner whose sneakers were destroyed by her abuser can heal faster if she can engage in her hobby again; a mental health clinician can help children process their trauma more effectively by purchasing new books to read with them in therapy sessions.
So often, a professional at a CAC working with a child will think to themselves how therapeutic it would be for that child to be able to attend summer camp and have a chance to just be a child in the aftermath of their trauma; how cheering it would be for child abuse victims and their families who are struggling economically while working through their healing process to receive holiday gifts; how uplifting it would be for a child entering the CAC for the first time to see a beautiful, peaceful mural and be surrounded by engaging and comforting new toys and books in the waiting room. Grants cover the essential multidisciplinary work at the CACs, but victims’ needs are always extensive, in their hearts, the team members always want to do more than the essentials.
Your sponsorship of the 10th Annual Heroes for Children 5K Run and Family Fun Run/Walk will help ensure CACs can always access funds to the urgent needs of the children and families they serve and give them an extra dose of help and hope on their healing journey.
Click the icon below to download the attached PDF.
Race Contact Info
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