We have exciting news! H.O.P.E. Inc. has merged for the first time with Horizon Race Solutions’s 2024 Westside Park Run on Sept. 28, and we want you to join in on the fun!
This new 5K/10K race has replaced our traditional 5K race, the Deon Lewis Memorial Hope Run, a fundraiser that ran for the last 10 years. As we partner with Horizon Race Solution this year, the Westside Park Run will allow us to expand our reach to a new audience!
“This merge of our run with Westside Park was needed to grow our program and expose Atlanta to what we do,” says Kenita Smith, the founder of H.O.P.E. Inc. “Every runner that crosses that finish line is bringing H.O.P.E. to the would-have-been hopeless and helpless. What a great way to support wellness all the way around.”
With each registration and sponsorship, a portion of the proceeds will benefit H.O.P.E.’s mission — to support low-income single parents in the Atlanta community as they pursue their higher education goals, shaping the trajectory of families for generations to come.
We are so excited to see how this partnership will impact our community. Since 2011, we have helped over 100 single parents graduate from college, 48 of which were first-generation college graduates. Through the encouragement and support of these parents, over 279 children’s lives have been changed. Families can be transformed through opportunities like the Westside Park Run!
“H.O.P.E, Inc. is about transforming the lives of single parents and their children,” Kenita says. “Year after year, single parents who are first-generation college attendees graduate and change the trajectory of their lives and their children’s lives. What we offer is not a handout, it’s a hand up that transcends families and economies.”
So, what are the details?
The Westside Park Run is the first and only 10K located completely within the Westside Park, Proctor Creek Trail, and the West Highlands area, and it is a USATF Certified Course and Peachtree Qualifier. This year offers a 5K option for runners as well! The event will start at 7 a.m., and the race will kick off an hour later.
Each participant will receive a soft t-shirt and a finisher medal for all runners. All registrants will be given the opportunity to make an additional donation to support our mission.
Are you ready? Slip on your running shoes and join us in supporting single parents and their dreams in our community!
