The Race to the Finish is Paved with Pizza and Beer
By HEIDI PRUITT
The Kokomo Post Staff
On Saturday, March 18 local non-profit CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) is partnering with Sun King Kokomo to give you a special opportunity to give back and make your friends green with envy.
Race participants smile for the camera in their St. Patty’s Day best
Photo Provided | CASA of Howard County
The CASA St. Patrick’s Day Beer 5K race is returning to historic Buckeye Street for an afternoon race unlike most.
The race, which begins and ends at Sun King Kokomo, features a St. Patrick’s Day costume contest, a 12-ounce Sun King Beer (for participants 21 and older) and pizza along the route.
“I don’t know many other 5Ks where we encourage you to stop and eat pizza along the way,” said CASA director Holly Becker.
“People come dressed up and people dress as leprechauns,” she said. “We have some people that really take the costume contest seriously.”
The race brings an average of 200 participants and is CASA’s largest fundraiser of the year, helping the Howard County organization recruit, train and partner up adults 21 and older with minors in the court system who have been affected by abuse and neglect.
The mission of the CASA Program of Howard County is to ensure that CASA volunteers advocate for the best interests of children who come to the attention of the court as a result of abuse and neglect, according to its website.
After 30 hours of training, CASA’s volunteers will know an overview of the court system, how to recognize families’ strengths and how to advocate for a child.
“Our volunteers are the heart of our program and they are absolutely wonderful. They have a lot of passion for helping children in our program. We couldn’t have this program be successful without our volunteers. Our volunteers motivate me every day,” said Becker.
There are currently 156 children in Howard County who are actively enrolled in CASA’s services.
“If you’ve thought about being a CASA volunteer, now is a good time to call our office and find out what it means to advocate for a child in Howard County,” said Becker.
Registration for the race is $25 per person, and you can register here. Registrations prior to Feb. 28 receive a free race T-shirt.