Children’s Volunteer Health Network (CVHN) will host the 3rd Annual Smile Mile and 5K race on Saturday, May 11, 2019, presented by St. Joe Community Foundation. This year, the 5k course will take participants through the canopied roads of the beautiful WaterColor community.
“The growth of this race over the past few years has been really inspiring to watch,” said Mike Gavigan, race chair and board member of CVHN. “This year, we are hoping for 600 racers and encourage local families and visitors to join us to support this amazing nonprofit.”
This CVHN signature event is fun for all ages, stroller-friendly, and will help raise funds that will be used to improve the health and well-being of kids in Walton and Okaloosa Counties. With more than 20 percent of children in both counties living below the poverty level, CVHN is a safety net for children who would otherwise have nowhere to turn for medical, dental and vision care.
Medals will be given for the fastest runners based on age groups and 2 grand prizes will be awarded for the largest registered team along with the team that brings in the most money. Registration is now open at www.cvhnkids.org.
“Last year we introduced team fundraising to the event. We believe this addition helped play a role in doubling our monies from the previous year from $25K to over $50K,” said Kelly Thompson, Development Director of CVHN. “It was so fun to see all of our team leaders come together, spread the word about our mission, and raise additional funds!”
The participation fee for the 5K is $30, and the Smile Mile is $15. Participants will receive a commemorative shirt and enjoy live music and food before the awards presentation. Fees will increase by $5 after April 1.
All proceeds from this event will support programs at CVHN which spends 94 cents of every dollar raised to help local children. CVHN has two main programs: the CVHN Dental Clinic located in Santa Rosa Beach and a Mobile Dental Clinic that visits elementary schools and local charities.
CVHN, a faith-based 501(c)(3) organization, was established in 2005 in response to Walton and Okaloosa Counties’ large population of low-income families unable to access high-quality health services due to the unavailability (or inadequacy) of insurance. CVHN operates a Mobile Dental Clinic, which visits local elementary schools and other non-profits, and the CVHN Dental Clinic in Santa Rosa Beach. All services are free to children enrolled in Walton and Okaloosa County schools on the free or reduced lunch programs. CVHN has facilitated more than 90,000 free procedures since its inception resulting in over 6.5 million dollars in free health & dental services provided to our community. The vision of CVHN is for all God’s children to be healthy, happy and see their futures as limitless. Until that day, there is more work to be done. For more information, call 850-622-3200 or visit www.cvhnkids.org.
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