Coco for Kids run to benefit Kids to Love

The second annual Coco for Kids 10K, 5K and 1-mile fun run be held in Cummings Research Park on Nov. 5. In 2015, James Clemens cheerleaders participated in Coco for Kids. CONTRIBUTED

MADISON – Participants will sprint through Cummings Research Park for the second annual Coco for Kids 10K, 5K and 1-mile fun run.

“Make you first winter run filled with fun and chocolate” to benefit the Kids to Love Foundation, Development Director Meredith Payne said. “Come out and participate in our runs to support children living in foster care.”

USA Track & Field (USATF) has certified the course. Along the Coco for Kids route, runners can stop by delicious ‘chocolate stops.’

Lee Marshall established Kids to Love in 2004. Marshall formerly worked as a Huntsville television news anchor and is a former foster and adoptive child herself. Since its inception, the Kids to Love Foundation has reached more than 200,000 foster children.

The top three male and female run finishers in the 10K and 5K races will receive awards. Organizers also will present awards to the top three finishers in these age categories: 10 and under, 11-14, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74 and 75 and older.

In research park, the route starts at Parsons, located at 401 Diamond Drive. Runners will proceed south on Diamond Drive and turn right on Quality Circle. Then, runners will turn around after approximately .1 mile and return to Parsons.

To register for the race, visit imathlete.com/events/cocoforkids/register/fsource=Main.

Kids to Love’s first commitment is to find forever families for foster children. “We’re working to create those lifelong bonds by recruiting adoptive parents,” Payne said. “Every week, Lee Marshall shares with the Tennessee Valley stories of children waiting to be adopted.”

“Out of 350 children featured in the weekly ‘Kids to Love’ segment, 300 of them have found forever families. The number of children in foster care has decreased 30 percent statewide since the Kids to Love segment first launched,” Payne said.

Kids to Love, a 501(c)3-approved foundation, has headquarters at 140 Castle Drive in Madison. For more information, call 256-880-3455, email to lee@kidstolove.org or visit kidstolove.org.