HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — The St. Jude Run/Walk is returning to Huntsville on Saturday. Local organizers are about halfway to their fundraising goal, and for those interested, there’s still time to donate.

“Every patient and every family that goes up there is truly taken care of by St. Jude, and that’s because of the funds we raise at events like this,” said St. Jude Walk/Run of Huntsville Chair Anna Hess.

This year is the first time Hess has chaired this event, but her family has a long history with St. Jude.

“My son is actually a St. Jude patient, and when we first got that diagnosis, the first thing my husband did was want to see if our insurance covered it,” Hess said. “They told us, ‘It doesn’t matter, you won’t receive a bill.'”

The race begins at 8:00 a.m. Saturday at HudsonAlpha in Research Park. Activities for the whole family are planned, including a kid’s dash, face painting, balloon artists, games, and free popsicles.

“It’s absolutely geared toward the whole family, kids in particular,” Hess said. “We’ve worked really hard to make the family fun zone truly fun.”

The 2023 St. Jude Walk/Run has a fundraising goal of $260,000, which would be the most money the event has ever raised. The fundraising dollars will go to support St. Jude patients, including those treated at the affiliate clinic in Huntsville.

“A lot of people don’t know we have an affiliate clinic here in Huntsville,” Hess said. “St. Jude has a global impact, and events like this help that global impact.”

Registration will be open until the time of the event. If you are interested in registering or donating, you can click here.