‘Lace up, lift up’
Annual Wear Your Wings 5K event will raise awareness and funds to support those impacted by domestic violence.
This year’s Wear Your Wings 5K Fun Run/Walk will take place Oct. 11 [Photo courtesy Family Violence Prevention work group]
More than 3,000 cases of domestic violence are reported in Ocala/Marion County each year. Since the Family Violence Prevention work group, which is part of the Marion County Children’s Alliance, started tracking homicides in 1997, 154 people have died as a result of domestic violence.
“There have been three homicides this year,” said Family Violence Prevention Coordinator Monica Bryant.
The work group, which includes representatives from social services, nonprofit and for-profit agencies, businesses and the community, has hosted two recent events to raise awareness about domestic violence and to support victims and survivors, and now has the Wear Your Wings 5K Fun Run/Walk set for Oct. 11.
The event will take place at the College of Central Florida, 3001 SW College Road, Ocala. Registration and packet pick-up will begin at 7 a.m., with a pre-race celebration at 7:30 a.m. and the run/walk pacing off at 8 a.m.
Zumba instructor Tina Fennelly, a certified personal trainer and health coach, will kick-off the pre-race celebration.
Shirts are guaranteed to the first 150 registrants and there will be medals for the first 150 finishers, along with awards for the top three male and female finishers in each age group.
“This event raises awareness and funds to support victims and survivors of domestic violence and raises critical funds needed to support them in rebuilding their lives,” the work group stated in promotional materials. “Let’s lace up, lift up and show our community what it means to break the silence on domestic violence.”
“We encourage anyone in an abusive relationship to call our 24-hour local domestic violence hotline at (352) 722-2272. If they are outside of Marion County, they can call (800) 500-1119. To get involved with the Family Violence Prevention Workgroup, call us at (352) 438-5990,” Bryant said.
The cost to participate in the Wear Your Wings event is $35 until Oct. 10 and $40 the day of race. Register at runsignup.com/race/FL/Ocala/WearYourWings5KFunRunWalk.
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