There is a beautiful innocence when it comes to ladybugs. I remember gently removing them from inside spaces onto the tastiest looking plant I could find. Even now, if one shows up in my home, I ensure its safe return to its home outside.
This same protection is what the leaders behind Ladybug Run for CDH Awareness want for the little ones born with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH), a potentially fatal congenital birth defect that affects 1 out of 2,500 children born every year. By running a 5K, 10K, or a 10K relay in Cook Park, participants help raise funds and awareness for more beautiful innocents.
Participants have the same starting line, with a 20-minute start window to allow for staggered start (or late group members). All runners and walkers start the same direction, going from a mile of paved trails to neighborhood sidewalks, then back into Cook Park past the butterfly garden area.
While the 5K finishers celebrate, the 10K participants have a few more miles to go, this time along the Tualatin River Trail past a dog park before looping to through some greenways to the butterfly garden their real finish line. Watch the race video to see some of the course and lots of ladybugs.
All finishers receive a medal and other race swag. And participants are encouraged to take part in the costume contest before the race, and cheer on the kids in the Diaper Dash or Kids 1+1/2 mile events.
