The organizers of the Sandy Hook 5K are proud to announce the third annual race to honor the memories of the victims and support those affected by the tragic events of 12/14. The race event will take place on Saturday, March 28, on the campus of Fairfield Hills, beginning at 8:15 am with staggered kid fun runs and 9 am for the 5K. Online registration will open on the official race website, , at 4 pm on Sunday, January 18.5krunforshf.org

This year’s 5K race will accommodate up to 1,500 runners/walkers. There will be no lottery for participation in the race. Participants will be registered on a first-come, first-served basis. Like last year, there is the option of joining as a virtual runner as well as registering children for staggered fun runs. The run for children ages 2-6 is a quarter mile; for those ages 7 and up, it is a half mile. Total spots available for both kid runs is 250, also on a first-come, first-served basis.

The registration fee for the 5K is $26, $6 for the kid runs, and $20 for the virtual runners. A signup fee of $2.50 is not included in aforementioned prices.

Once again, the Newtown Memorial Fund has offered to collect and process all donations. Proceeds from the Sandy Hook 5K will be donated to the Collaborative Recovery Fund, administered by the Newtown-Sandy Hook Community Foundation, which pays the out-of-pocket mental health expenses for those eligible who have been most impacted by 12/14. A percentage of the proceeds will go directly to the chosen nonprofit organizations of the 26 families who lost loved ones.

To learn about opportunities to volunteer at the 5K, e-mail volunteersh5k@gmail.com. To learn about sponsorship opportunities, e-mail sponsorsh5k@gmail.com. Questions regarding registration may be addressed to the YMCA Racing Collaborative at races@waterburyymca.org.

For additional information, visit 5krunforshf.org.