“Bubbles of Fun Run” Triples Participants and Raises Thousands for Pediatric Cancer
- Chattanooga community ran, walked and cheered to raise money for the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer on Saturday, February 25
- Event presented by U.S. Xpress
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (February 28, 2023) – The Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer hosted its third annual Bubbles of Fun Run presented by U.S. Xpress at the Tennessee Riverpark this past Saturday morning. The event totaled 427 participants, which is more than triple the number of sign-ups from 2022 (140).
The morning consisted of a 5K, 10K and one mile Fun Run on a course filled with bubbles right next to the Tennessee River. Men and women of all ages spent the morning running and walking to raise money for the Austin Hatcher Foundation, a Chattanooga-based nonprofit that provides free counseling, therapy, family programs and other services to children and families facing the effects of pediatric cancer. Over $38,000 was raised for the foundation through participant sign-ups, event fundraising and sponsorships.
“We are blown away and so excited to have tripled registration numbers from last year,” said Austin Hatcher Foundation co-founder and CEO, Amy Jo Osborn. “We had pediatric cancer survivors, families of pediatric cancer patients, friends running in honor and memory of someone, and just a great community of support on Saturday. We could not have done it without all the love and help from our runners, staff, volunteers and sponsors. It was a fantastic time to be with such a great team in a beautiful, hope-filled setting raising funds and awareness for the Foundation.”
The Austin Hatcher Foundation created the Bubbles of Fun Run fundraiser to celebrate joy and hope as runners help raise funds to provide a brighter future for families with pediatric cancer. In keeping with the foundation’s logo, bubbles were blown at the start and finish line to fill the race with an uplifting and fun atmosphere.
The one-mile “Fun Run” is included for families and anyone not looking to time themselves, while the 5k and 10k events are timed. This year’s 10k winner was Bob Adams, with a time of 36:14 (5:49/mile). The 5k first place was claimed by Ethan Fox with a time of 19:19 (6:12/mile).
“It was a real honor today to run at the Bubbles of Fun Run,” said Meg Wingfield, second overall finisher of the 2023 5k. “Everybody had great energy and support of the Austin Hatcher Foundation, which was beautiful.”
The Foundation will be announcing 2024’s Bubbles of Fun Run date soon. The Foundation’s next fundraising event for the community will be the “Monday Before the Masters” golf tournament at Sweetens Cove on April 3. Tournament sponsorships and foursome teams are limited, but still available now at hatcherfoundation.org/golf.
The Austin Hatcher Foundation’s mission is to erase the effects of pediatric cancer and optimize quality of life through essential specialized intervention beginning at the time of a child’s diagnosis and continuing through survivorship. Families of the foundation are provided with services such as Mental and Behavioral Health Therapy, Occupational Therapy, NeuroPsych Testing, Family Programs and more at absolutely no cost to them.
To learn more about the Austin Hatcher Foundation, visit www.HatcherFoundation.org today.
