SOAR holds Respect Run 5k at Miller Park

Photo provided by SOAR

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Special Opportunities Available in Recreation, also known as SOAR, is holding their annual Respect Run 5k on April 7 at Miller Park. The route of the 5k starts at the pavilion and goes throughout the park.

SOAR is a community therapeutic recreation program serving individuals ages 4 and beyond who are unable to participate in traditional recreation programs. This non-competitive event is specifically to raise awareness of the “R-word campaign,” in the effort to make the abbreviation stand for “Respect.”

Program Manager Holly Polley spoke about the importance of this event.

“To really bring awareness to the word “Respect” and that everybody deserves respect,” she said.

This campaign is based off of Special Olympics and Best Buddies and this specific program has been going on for about eight years now. 

“Everyone is welcome to the event. A lot of our SOAR participants will be there and would love for the people in the community to get involved,” Polley explains. “We usually get about 74 participants, weather dependent. We’re hoping to get more this year considering we pushed it back from March to April.”

Polley says, “Usually, everyone can run 3 times, but since it’s non-competitive, you can do the 5k or even just a lap.”

This campaign is to ultimately end the usage of the R-word, especially because it’s not used in the disability community anymore.

Furthermore, one way the community can get involved with SOAR is through volunteering. This can be anywhere from sports/ fitness, arts/ crafts, cooking, and martial arts.

Participants can register online or in-person on the day of the 5k.