City Times Staff

Running and charity enthusiasts have a lot to choose from this weekend as three charity 5K and walking events hit the streets of Stevens Point.

The annual Walk for Hope 5K is hosted by the Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Awareness Coalition of Portage County whose mission is to “prevent suicide in Portage County by providing hope, creating awareness and facilitating change in the community to support mental health.”

Registration begins at 9 AM on Saturday, Sept. 16 and ends at noon. Registration for the walk is $20 for anyone over 14 years old and must have been paid by Aug. 21 to guarantee an event t-shirt. Children under 14 can walk for free.

Walk for Hope begins at Zenoff Park located at 1001 N. Second St.

Also at 9 AM on September 16 is the Walk for Water, hosted by the Makah Foundation, at Iverson Park. Participants will walk in the footsteps of the people of Cameroon who must gather drinking water in large jugs from a river and trek with them back to their villages. Walkers will fill jugs with water at the Plover river and carry them back to the starting point.

Registration for Walk for Water is $10 for adults and $5 children 10 and younger.

The Walk for Water was started by the Makah Foundation which seeks to build 40 water well pumps in remote villages of Cameroon, West Africa. A presentation by the foundation will also be given at the walk.

Iverson Park is located at 4601 St. Hwy. 66.

The annual Blubber Run 5K, the lead-up to Pointoberfest, kicks off at 3 PM from the Stevens Point Brewery. Registration for the run is $25 in advance and $35 the day of the event. The registration fee includes a t-shirt and admittance to the sixth annual Pointoberfest.

Proceeds from the Blubber Run and Pointoberfest go to Pints for Prostates, a health campaign which “raises awareness among men about the importance of regular health screenings and early detection by making appearances at beer events, social networking and pro bono advertising,” according to its website. 

The Stevens Point Brewery is located at 2617 Water St.

Are we missing something? Send your event to: [email protected].