For years, our Community Leader, Jen O’Malia had dreamed of holding a L’Arche Cleveland 5K fundraiser. For Jen, it was a perfect way to meet people that otherwise might not know about L’Arche. Especially now during our 50th anniversary year, we want to reach as many people as possible to advocate for our Core Members and raise awareness about L’Arche.
On October 4th, it was time for our inaugural Rock the Boat Run 5k & All-Abilities Walk at Edgewater Park. Volunteers arrived early to help set up for the race, and then came the runners and walkers. When it was time to kick off, we had 80 participants signed off and even more that came out to cheer us on.
It was heartwarming to see so many new people come together to support L’Arche. Together, participants and sponsors raised over $30,000. These funds will directly support our Core Members and help continue our mission of celebrating the lives and gifts of people with developmental disabilities.
We are so grateful for our generous sponsors, listed below, who made this event possible. Their partnership truly made this event a success.
After the event, Jen reflected, “Our first 5k was a wonderful success and it exceeded all our expectations for our first race. It was wonderful to meet so many new people and introduce them to the mission of L’Arche.”
We have several other events planned throughout the remainder of our anniversary year. Check out the full list on our anniversary events page! We can’t wait to continue celebrating our 50th Anniversary!
If you would like to help celebrate the success of our inaugural run, you can purchase a L’Arche Cleveland Rock the Boat Run long sleeve t-shirt designed by Diane Jones! Shirts can be purchased online through Custom Ink until 10/30/25. Shirts will be delivered to your address for a small shipping fee or to our office.
