The Austin Hatcher Foundation’s “Bubbles of Fun Run” Raises $25,000+ for Pediatric Cancer Family Therapy Services
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (Feb.12. 2024) - The Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer hosted its fourth annual Bubbles of Fun Run at the Tennessee Riverpark this past Saturday morning. Over 300 participants registered to run and support AHF’s mission of erasing the effects of childhood cancer. The event raised over $25,000, which will go to providing pediatric cancer families with 100%-free mental and behavioral health counseling and therapy services at the Foundation.
“We are so thankful for our supportive community dedicated to helping improve the lives of families facing childhood cancer,” said Georgia Moore, Events and Community Relations Manager at the Foundation. “Saturday’s run was a great success! It was so fun to see Foundation families, donors and sponsors, friends, and supportive community members all come together to support the Foundation's mission. The Austin Hatcher Foundation could not do what it does without the community.”
The Austin Hatcher Foundation created the Bubbles of Fun Run to celebrate joy and hope as runners and walkers 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 morning consisted of a 5K, 10K, and 1-mile Fun Run on a course filled with bubbles right next to the Tennessee Riverpark. Men, women, and kids of all ages spent the morning running and walking to raise money for the Austin Hatcher Foundation, a Chattanooga-based nonprofit that provides free comprehensive, coordinated care through evidence-based therapies, counseling, family programs, grief groups, educational resources, and more to foster resilience and hope for families.
The 5K and 10K events were officially chip-timed by the Chattanooga Track Club, and the one-mile Fun Run was included for anyone not looking to officially time themselves. This year’s men’s 5K winner was Ryan Shrum with a time of 18:53, and this year’s women’s 5K winner was Lucy Horne with a time of 21:10. For the 10K, the men’s and women’s first-place winners, Rob and Suzanne Carden, crossed the finish line holding hands, both with a time of 44:58.
All 5K and 10K finishing times can be viewed at https://www.chattanoogatrackclub.org/. The top 3 finishers from each category were awarded Fleet Feet gift cards.
The next event the Foundation will be putting on for the community is the “Hit It for Hatch” pickleball tournament on Saturday, March 2nd at Chattanooga Christian School, and the “Monday After the Masters” golf tournament at the Farm Golf Club in Dalton, Georgia, on Monday, May 13. Both events are open to the public and open for registration at https://www.hatcherfoundation.org/events.
About the Austin Hatcher Foundation
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. All funds from Austin Hatcher Foundation fundraisers go directly towards supporting AHF’s mission by providing services for families such as Mental and Behavioral Health Therapy, Occupational Therapy, NeuroPsych Testing, Family Programs, and more at absolutely no cost to them.
