5K Event for Kayla and More School Fundraisers

The girl many of us have never met turned 8 not that long ago. Kayla Rose Dehnert celebrated her birthday at St. Jude's Children Research Hospital in Memphis, where she has spent most of her time the past six months as she undergoes treatment for brain cancer. Maybe you've read about her . Or maybe you've seen posters of her in storefront windows. Or maybe you've followed her progress on mother Annie's blog.

She's fighting to recover, and her family and friends and classmates and neighbors and strangers have all joined together to do what they can. Fundraising to ensure Kayla's family can worry about her getting better rather than worrying about how to pay the bills has taken many forms. There have been the Dine & Donate fundraisers, the bake sales, the collecting of pennies, a garden party and auction.

Whether you've taken part in one (or three or four) of the fundraisers already or whether you've just been meaning to, there's a wonderful opportunity coming up that — my apologies for using such a cliche — puts the "fun" in "fundraiser."

Starting today, you can register to take part in the 5K Walk/Run for Kayla Rose. It's not just a race, though, it's an all-day event that includes a 5K, a children's 1K and .5K, and a fabulous barbecue with entertainment. is the place to be on Saturday, June 16. All of the races start and end there.

What's in store for you after the run? Only gourmet hot dogs, face painting, jumpy houses, professional DJ John Canaan, and a very special entertainer no kid would want to miss. All runners receive a specialized Kayla T-shirt.

The 5K starts at 10 a.m. The kids' 1K and .5K start at 11 a.m. The barbecue and entertainment will go until 1 p.m. Prices vary, but all proceeds go to support Kayla and her family. Registration opens today, Friday, May 18, on Eventbrite.

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Have you been to one of the newest restaurants to hit Novato? There's another reason to make your way to Muscio's beyond the good food and fabulous atmosphere: you can get $40 worth of food for just $20 with vouchers purchased through Plum District. The kicker? Ten percent of each voucher you buy goes to support School Fuel. You don't even need to limit yourself to one. You do, however, have to limit yourself to three.

It's that time of the year to thank your children's teachers. Why not buy a couple for them and keep one to yourself? You can get more information by going to Plum District's website here.