A group of runners at the 2024 Freedom Fun Run 5K move down Market Street in Parkersburg. (Photo Provided)

PARKERSBURG — The Freedom Fun Run 5K is taking place again this year, starting this upcoming weekend with a week-long virtual event.

Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law has been hosting the fundraiser for 15 years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they decided to incorporate the virtual aspect of the event to encourage people who were distancing from others to keep active while supporting local veterans.

“We didn’t want to stop the event, so we just tried to get creative. For the first year of COVID, we were completely virtual,” said Eric Hillyard-Poling, CIO of Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law. “Once we got the clear to start having in-person events again, we didn’t want to exclude those who had been participating virtually. We had several people participate states away.”

The virtual event will take place from Saturday, June 21, to Friday, June 27. The in-person 5K event will start at 8 a.m. June 28 in front of the Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law office on Market Street. Hillyard-Poling estimates that around 400 virtual and in-person participants will join in the event this year.

All proceeds from the event will go to Operation Transportation, We Have Your Six – Parkersburg Division, and the Jan Dils Foundation Scholarship for veteran recipients.

At the 2024 Freedom Fun Run 5K, participants could win awards in the Veteran, Walker, and Runner categories. (Photo Provided)

Operation Transportation is an initiative that aims to set up veterans in Parkersburg, Huntington, and Charleston to receive free bus passes every 30 days with a military ID. We Have Your Six helps veterans in need receive resources such as utilities and personal care items. The Jan Dils Foundation Scholarship gives $2,500 annually to three recipients who are in active duty, veterans, or are the dependents of a veteran.

“We’re happy to celebrate our veterans, support them, and do anything we can to give back to them for their service,” says Hillyard-Poling.

For more information on how to participate in the Freedom Fun Run 5K, visit jandils.com and click on the banner at the top of the home page to register, call 304-428-8900 or stop by the Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law office at 963 Market St. in Parkersburg to fill out a paper form. Registration will also be available on the day of the race beginning at 7 a.m.

Matty Lamp can be reached at intern@newsandsentinel.com.

Participants line up at the start/finish line in front of the Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law office in Parkersburg for the 2024 Freedom Fun Run 5K. (Photo Provided)