Several fundraisers for the Easter Seals are coming up soon, beginning with a dance Saturday night. Easter Seals UCP of Mount Airy also si enrolling participants for a 5K and 8.5K on the Emily B. Taylor Greenway trail on March 23. A Mud Bog will be held on June 15.

The Easter Seals is a nonprofit organization that offers support to children and adults with mental and physical disabilities, including developmental disabilities.

According to the Easter Seals website, 90 percent of the revenue from fund-raising efforts goes directly back to the community where the money was raised.

Saturday night dance

A dance for the Easter Seals will be held Saturday at The Jones Family Resource Center in Mount Airy. The dance is from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the auditorium and the band Classic Country will play for the entire dance. The cost is $8, which includes refreshments.

Food Lion of Dobson is the sponsor for the dance and all proceeds will be donated to Easter Seals.

Annalisa Davis, director of the Jones Family Resource Center, said she is excited about the dance and hopes to have a good turnout. “We are happy to have Dobson Food Lion as our sponsor and we love to support the Easter Seals because they do great things for the community.”

Cool Runnings 5k and 8.5k; June Mud Bog

Easter Seals UCP of Mount Airy is hosting the Cool Runnings 5k and 8.5k on March 23 at 9 a.m. The event will begin at Veteran’s Park, with the run held on the Emily B. Taylor Greenway near the park. After the event is complete, there will be an Easter Egg hung at Veteran’s Park for the children of the participants.

The cost for participants is $25 and prior registration is highly encouraged in order to reserve a spot. All participants will receive a long-sleeved t-shirt with the logo for the event.

The logo for Cool Runnings was created and designed by local artist Quincey Rucker.

Darline Watts, event coordinator for Easter Seals UCP of Mount Airy, said 100 percent of the funds raised by Cool Runnings will be donated to a the Easter Seals’ Alleghany Children’s Center in Sparta, Va. The center prepares children with developmental disabilities to enter school.

Watts came up with the name of the event, Cool Runnings, because she liked the image of a runner wearing sunglasses, plus, the weather will still be a little cool at the end of March.

The event route originally included a street route, but Watts decided to switch it to the greenway so participants who are parents can push their kids in strollers.

“We switched the route because we know some parents like to run with the jogging strollers, which would be impossible on the roads — we want to make it easier for those who want to participate,” said Watts.

Local sponsors for the event include Journey Counseling in Mount Airy and Fleet Feet Sports in Winston-Salem.

Watts also mentioned that she wants to thank Food Lion for their support of the Easter Seals. Food Lion is a corporate sponsor for Easter Seals on a national level, with individual stores holding fundraisers throughout the year.

The popular Easter Seals Mud Bog, sponsored by Opie’s Restaurant, is on the schedule for June 15. The Mud Bog has been held for the past five years, according to Watts, and it is a big fundraiser for the local Easter Seals.

Interested participants or volunteers should contact Darline Watts by calling 789-9492 or emailing janie.watts@eastersealsucp.com .

Reach Jessica Johnson at jessicajohnson@civitasmedia.com or 719-1933.