Cameron K. Gallagher SpeakUp 5k-2018
For the past three years, Woodfin employees have joined hundreds of people in Byrd Park, located in Richmond, Virginia, on the first Saturday morning of September for the Cameron K. Gallagher SpeakUp 5k. The SpeakUp 5k is a memorial to Cameron K Gallagher, a sixteen-year-old who passed away as she crossed the finish line of the Shamrock Half Marathon in Virginia Beach on March 16, 2014. Cameron struggled for several years with severe depression and anxiety. Her dream was to create a 5k race in her community to help raise awareness of teenage depression. Now, there are six SpeakUp 5ks around the country: Richmond, VA; San Diego, CA; Tampa, FL; Nashville, TN; Boone, NC; and Washington, DC. Each 5k further spreads Cameron’s message of removing the stigma associated with teenage depression, and encouraging everyone to support each other visibly and vocally.
Our Employee Benefits Specialist, Sarah Stirling White, has been participating in the race since 2016 and this was her favorite year yet. “I love this event. The course is beautiful and I love seeing all the volunteers at pit stops along the way having a blast cheering on the runners. I didn’t even mind getting sprayed in the face with a water gun because it was so humid!” This year Woodfin had 22 employees and their families on their team. It’s such a great outing for families; the entire course is interactive with cheerleaders, bubble machines, silly string and inspirational signs. Once you cross the finish line, there are vendors, food trucks and games. Hopefully we’ll have even more participants next year to help raise awareness for the Cameron K Gallagher Foundation, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia and reaching an entire nation.
If you’re interested in learning more about the Foundation or want to learn how to register for next year, you can head to their Facebook Page or to their website.
