By Misty Cryer
Eddy County CASA is currently seeking sponsors and taking advance registrations for the 2024 Ugly Sweater 5K Run and Walk. This family-fun event is planned to kick off a series of Christmas events in the community while spreading awareness and raising funds for the vital services the organization provides to foster children in Eddy County.
Representatives of Eddy County CASA, Clarisa Saenz, Communications Coordinator, and Amy Wright, Executive Director, shared information about the event along with details about the services the organization provides.
The event will be held on Saturday, November 30, at the Carlsbad Beach Bandshell, with registration beginning at 7 a.m. and the race starting at 8 a.m. While registrations will be accepted at the event, early registration is encouraged to ensure a complete participant package will be available.
Saenz said there will be awards for the race and the ugly sweater contest held afterward at the event. “We will be having hot chocolate and cookies at the finish line, and hopefully, we will have some vendors there,” she said.
“It seems really exciting to be part of the event because our event will actually be the start of a whole day of events for Carlsbad, ending with the light parade,” said Saenz.
She said the light parade leads into Christmas on the Pecos activities. “Our route for the 5k will actually be going through the decorations that will be set up by the Chamber of Commerce,” she said.
“Our effort for this fundraiser is to bring awareness for the children within the foster care system,” said Saenz. She explained that the objectives of the event include recruiting volunteers, bringing awareness, and fundraising to support the upcoming events for the children.
“I think a lot of people don’t know what CASA is or what we do,” said Wright. “We are looking to further educate the community—and getting our name out through different events—so people have the opportunity to inquire. Officially, we are court-appointed special advocates for children in foster care in Eddy County,” she said.
“We are currently recruiting CASA volunteers, people who want to become advocates for the children in our foster care here in Eddy County. We currently have over 100 children without CASA, just within this county. Our goal is to ideally have a CASA for each one of these children, so we are in dire need of volunteers,” said Saenz. She said this is a priority of the organization right now, with plans to conduct training at the start of the year.
“We are currently seeking out sponsors for the event,” said Saenz. Various levels of sponsorship are available and determine how the logo will be used in the event, ranging from the sign-in sheet to the t-shirts to the banners and items in participant packages, she said. For information about sponsorships, Clarisa Saenz can be reached by phone at 575-361-8403 or by emailing clarisa@eddycountycasa.org . Information is also displayed on the social media accounts for Eddy County CASA.
The fee to participate in the 2024 Ugly Sweater 5K Run and Walk is $30. Interested parties can pre-register at the following link: https://runsignup.com/Race/NM/Carlsbad/UglySweater5kCarlsbad .
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