Photo by Sheriff Kurt Penara A group of children watch a demonstration of the Jaws of Life slicing through a vehicle during a Keweenaw County Sheriff’s Office public safety event.
KEWEENAWEE COUNTY — Keweenaw Support 4 Healthy Minds, in partnership with the Keweenaw County Sheriff’s Office, presents the “Shine the Light 4 Healthy Minds 5K Run/Walk Fair” to be held at Eagle Harbor Township Park on Saturday, June 29. The event will be followed by the annual Keweenaw County Public Safety Day. The walk/run event is a fundraiser for Keweenaw Support 4 Healthy Minds.
Keweenaw Support 4 Healthy Minds is a local group dedicated to talking more openly about mental health, building resilient communities and supporting individuals at risk, according to the Keweenaw Community Foundation. Its mission is focused on preventing suicide by reducing stigma, educating the public about mental health and substance use disorders and supporting individuals at risk for crisis. Keweenaw Support 4 Healthy Minds is a special project of the Keweenaw Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity.
The organization has hosted several community events to fulfill its mission, including the “Be Kind to Your Mind!” Youth Fair in January 2024, which gave local youth ages 12-19 the opportunity to participate in activities that benefit their emotional and mental health.
“We worked with both Keweenaw Support 4 Healthy Minds and the Keweenaw Community Foundation.” Keweenaw County Sheriff Kurt Penara said.
Penara said he organized the run/walk as a fundraiser because he felt the need to support KS4HM.
“They’ve done a lot of work for our community with different events.” Penara said. “Some of the marketing they’ve done has come out of their own pockets.”
The aim is to organize events that not only showcase their work but also provide financial support for their work.
Registered race participants will receive their packages at 9:00 AM. The race will begin at 10:00 AM.
Immediately afterwards, the Keweenaw County Sheriff’s Public Safety Event will begin at 11 a.m. and continue until 2 p.m. at Eagle Harbor Township Park. This is their annual Public Safety Day, Penara said.
“This year we have changed the location from Mohawk to Eagle Harbor Park, so our event will be held on the same day and in the same location as the run.” Penara said.
He said the event will be similar to previous years and will feature the annually popular trampolines, games for children, free hot dogs, pop and chips, as well as the chance to see fire trucks and police cars and play basketball with police officers.
There will be displays of various fire departments and ambulance groups, Mercy ambulances, EMFs, equipment and more.
“This event allows us to engage with children and the public in a different capacity for one day.” Penara said.
Penara is encouraging people to take part in the race.
“We have a lot of businesses that have donated door prizes, so we have a ton of really cool things to give away.” Penara said: “But enrollment has really dropped.”
The event schedule for the day is as follows:
• 9am: Participants receive their race packages
• 10am: 5K race start
• TBD: Kid’s Dash starts (ages 8 and under)
• 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Keweenaw County Sheriff’s Public Safety Event.
Those interested in registering for the race can visit bit.ly/ks4hm-5k.
