The 9th Annual Fenton Payne and Fred 5K Run is slated for 7:00 o'clock Saturday morning, August 18th. And for the fourth consecutive year, all sponsorship donations for the One Mile Kid’s Fun Run will benefit the children of Special Kids. The race begins in front of MTSU's football stadium. Details at http://fpfrun.com/.
“I worked at Special Kids for three years and saw the need firsthand,” said Kerry Lovelace Slicker, Professional Relations Coordinator. “I had the opportunity to see how the programs directly impact the children and their families. I’m so thankful Rutherford County has such an amazing program, and I want to see it continue to grow and impact our community.”
Tabetha Lorance is no stranger to the Fenton Payne and Fred race, last year helping Team Austin raise over $2,300 through impact Special Kids, an online fundraising tool to help people in the community support the work at Special Kids.
The Lorances first visited Special Kids in 2007 after their infant son Austin incurred bacterial meningitis that left him with cerebral palsy and hearing loss due to epileptic seizures. Initially fundraising through events like pancake breakfasts, the Lorances hit the ground running in local races, raising money for the children and families of Special Kids. “We want to give back to them,” Tabetha said. “Aside from us, Special Kids is Austin’s biggest advocate. They believe in him just as much as I do.”
Although doctors warned the Lorance family of an unpredictable future, Austin, now in his fifth year at Special Kids, continues to advance every day in physical, occupational, speech, and feeding therapies. He is now moving around, communicating more, and even making his older brother Brice grin with pride every time he calls him “Bubba.”
To learn more about fundraising for Special Kids, visit impactspecialkids.org.
Special Kids is a Christian nonprofit organization located in Murfreesboro, TN, providing therapeutic rehabilitation and professional nursing services to children with special needs. Since 1998, Special Kids has served over 2,300 families from 11 counties in middle Tennessee. For more information on Special Kids, please visit specialkidstn.com or call 615.893.4892.
