Each year we choose local non-profit organizations as our charities of choice. Our mission is to help increase awareness of these organizations, as well as encourage race participants to support them with a donation. Our 2025 Charities of Choice are:

Unity House is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for people living in poverty, adults with mental illness, victims of domestic violence, children with developmental delays and their families, people living with HIV/AIDS, and others whose needs can effectively be met by Unity House services and philosophy. Unity House provides direct service and works toward social justice. We help individuals identify their strengths and needs, draw upon their abilities, and access community resources. We educate, collaborate with others and advocate to influence public policy and to create awareness of the people we serve and the issues they face.

 

Girls on the Run Capital Region inspires girls to be joyful, healthy, and confident using fun, experience-based curricula that creatively integrates running. Girls on the Run is the only national physical activity-based, positive youth development (PA-PYD) program for girls with an evidence-based curriculum, trained coaches, and a commitment to serving all girls. As the only out-of-school time program of its kind, Girls on the Run underscores the important connection between physical and emotional health and empowers adolescent girls to build healthy physical and mental habits that last a lifetime. Evidence shows that Girls on the Run makes a stronger impact than organized and physical education programs in teaching life skills such as managing emotions, resolving conflict, helping others, and making intentional decisions. It strengthens a sense of confidence in girls while fostering care and compassion for self and others. Trained, caring, and qualified coaches deliver the life skills curriculum by guiding small teams of girls through twice-a-week lessons that promote social-emotional learning concurrently with physical activity. The program culminates with girls positively impacting their communities through a service project and completing a celebratory, non-competitive 5K event providing the framework for confidence through accomplishment and to be the author of her story.