St. Vrain for the Brain 5k runs Sept. 21

The St. Vrain for the Brain 5k will be held on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 9 a.m. at Niwot High School to benefit the National Brain Tumor Society.

The St. Vrain for the Brain 5k encourages participants of all levels, either in person or virtually. Participants can register as a team, or as an individual, or simply donate to support another participant or team. So far, $4,100 has been raised toward the fundraising goal of $5,000 with a week and a half left before the race.

The 5k race runs along the beautiful trails in Niwot and provides views of the mountains with only one hill towards the end of the trek. The race will start and end at the track of Niwot High School and there will be games and activities on the field for participants after the race. There will also be a costume contest with a prize for the best one.

Participants should arrive at Niwot High School at least 30 minutes early to check in. Both the upper and lower lots will be available for parking near the track.

The event is organized by Niwot High School graduate MacKenzie Demmel, whose aunt, the late Meg Boyer, was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2018.

The National Brain Tumor Society 2024 St. Vrain for the Brain 5k website describes the "Brave Like Meg" campaign and states, "This race was inspired by the amazing Meg Boyer. Meg showed people how to lead with strength, live with love, and fight with bravery, and her diagnosis of brain cancer in 2018 only emphasized all of those amazing qualities. Although we miss her greatly, we can still feel her presence by doing the things that she loved, namely running, enjoying the outdoors, bonding with friends and family, and fighting for a cure. By keeping Meg's spirit alive and funding research for a cure to brain cancer, hopefully we can all be Brave Like Meg."

Donations to the Brave Like Meg team to benefit the National Brain Tumor Society can be made here.