398 Community Members Participate Virtually in Foster5K

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 25, 2020 

CONTACT: Debbie Crouse | info@foster5k.org

MILPITAS, CA Foster5K (formerly The Flower Run) went virtual on Sunday, September 13 for its 4th annual benefit 5K. Originally planned for April 26, 2020 at Sunnyvale Baylands Park, the Foster5K was postponed and later changed to a virtual event due to COVID-19 related shelter-in-place orders issued by the County of Santa Clara.

Hosted by a group of philanthropically minded residents from across Santa Clara County, Foster5K had its biggest turnout to date. 398 community members, almost twice as many as last year, participated in the virtual 5K raising awareness and over $30,000 for Child Advocates of Silicon Valley, an independent nonprofit 501(c) 3 organization serving foster children in Santa Clara County.

“We are really excited about the turnout,” said Debbie Crouse, Foster5K Co-Chair and Child Advocates Board Member. “Given how bad the air quality has been recently, we were worried people would hesitate to participate, even virtually. We are extremely grateful that so many people showed up to support our foster kids.”

Given the air quality, Foster5K participants were encouraged to participate in whatever way possible, so long as they were active in a safe environment. The event kicked-off in the morning with a Yoga Warmup via zoom and concluded in the afternoon with a Zoom Finish party. Raffle prizes and team awards were presented during the party.

“I can’t thank the Foster5K committee enough,” said Frederick J. Ferrer, CEO of Child Advocates. “They were presented with every challenge imaginable but they persevered and found a way to deliver a fantastic event. I am extremely grateful for their commitment to helping our foster kids and for the nearly 400 people that participated.”

Originally a spring event, next year’s race is already scheduled for April 25, 2021. Having shown continual growth since its inception, the committee is already excited about the prospects for next year’s event. “We’re really hopeful we can all gather next year for the 5K,” said Joy Erf, Co-Chair of the event. “Regardless, whether we’re gathered at the Sunnyvale Baylands Park or participating virtually, we plan to build on this year’s success to have an even bigger turn out next year.”

Foster5K brings much needed awareness and support to the work Child Advocates does to help foster children. In fiscal year 2019, Child Advocates served 964 foster children through its Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program, which recruits, trains and supports community members who are appointed with a court order by a judge to advocate for the best interests of a child in foster care. The majority of the funds raised to support these efforts are through donations and charitable events, such as Foster5K.

To sign up for Foster5K news and announcements, donate or become a sponsor, please visit Foster5K.org.

About Debbie Crouse, Foster5K Co-Chair
Debbie Crouse is a long-time resident of Los Altos and brings a wealth of business experience to Child Advocates’ Board of Directors. She has been driving change within technology, service and manufacturing businesses for over 20 years. She currently spends much of her time leading fundraising projects for non-profits and consulting for local tech companies. She has been on the Board of Child Advocates of Silicon Valley for 4 years and is on the Board of Advisors for Animal Assisted Happiness.

About Joy Erf, Foster 5K Co-Chair
Joy Erf, a resident of Cupertino and technical recruiter, found her passion for distance running over 10 years ago when she began training for her first half marathon. Since then, she has completed nine marathons and over 60 half marathons. Joy has provided leadership to other local 5ks including the Montclaire 5k, CEEF Run For Great Schools, and Kennedy Color Run.

About Child Advocates of Silicon Valley
Child Advocates of Silicon Valley is an independent nonprofit 501(c) 3 organization created in 1986. We serve children aged birth to 21 years old who are placed in the Santa Clara County Dependency Court System for having experienced trauma in the form of abuse, neglect and/or abandonment. We are responsible for operating the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program in Santa Clara County according to the national guidelines, which entails recruiting, training and supporting CASA Volunteers. We are an affiliate of the National CASA Association. To learn more, please visit ChildAdvocatesSV.org.