It is happening a second year in a row. I am so super psyched. What started as a little dream, a 5 year dream plan if you will, became reality in…well…9 months. The annual Run FASD VIrtual 5k. What is it, and how did it come about? Well, let’s drift back to January, 2021. I was asked to be on a podcast, “FASD Hope” hosted by the incredible Natalie Vecchione. One of the first questions she asked me was, “What is something you want to do in the future? Where do you see yourself in five years?” I had been toying with the idea of creating a 5k of some sort, at some point, before I was old and senile, and my idea of a run was a run in my pantyhose. I had talked to my mom about it months prior, and she had mentioned doing a race for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. So, I told Natalie, thanks to my mama, a run for FASD would be amazing to create. I wanted to have a race that had meaning. This race would raise awareness of this extremely common, yet unknown and invisible disability. It would bring light to what are still shadows of understanding. I thought virtual would be the way to go, since Covid was still dominating our nation at that point. I can’t take full credit of this virtual 5k that has become nationwide and Canada wide. After I mentioned my dream to Natalie, she said, “We are going to make this happen. Your dream is going to happen, Rebecca.” After that podcast, Natalie reached out to FASD United (www.fasdunited.org), and spoke to the infamous, wonderful, change making Jennifer Wisdahl. Jenn ran my idea of a virtual 5k for FASD by the president of FASD UNITED, and we got the green light! After we got the ok, the three of us went to work creating what would become the first ever virtual 5k for FASD. On September 9, 2021, what is known as National FASD Awareness Day, the Virtual 5k Run FASD kicked off. It went for 5 days. We raise $6,000.00 for FASD UNITED, and had 242 registered runners. What is UNIQUE about this VIrtual 5k is that you don’t have to run it. You can walk it, you can bike it, we also had someone walk the 3.1 miles over a few days. One person was going to row 3.1 miles in his boat! People and children can roll it! The first year was an amazing success. Natalie and Jenn say I am the lead singer, aka The Coach, and they are my back up singers. NOPE. NEVER. They were right next to me on that stage of hope and creation, creating this amazing event, and they are right next to me again, in 2022. So, tie up those laces, put air in those bike tires, slap on a life jacket, get your roller skates out! It is happening again this year! The VIrtual 5k Run FASD 2022 is happening! Join this race to raise awareness for a disability that is near and dear to our hearts in some way. Let’s continue to educate those around us about FASDs, and how incredible the people are that live with an FASD. Let’s help people to see US, NOT THE DISABILITY.
Take some time to register! You can also form a team, create a community race, donate and/or BECOME A SPONSOR!
Quirking It 
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