Runners can get an early start on their St. Patrick’s Day festivities while helping families in our region receive the care they need by taking part in the Foundation of Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital’s (CVPH) annual Shamrock Shuffle 5K. The race starts and ends at Valcour Brewing Company on Saturday, March 16 at 11 a.m.

Now in its ninth year, the two-loop route creates a flat, fast course for runners. The fun and unique event is also well-known for the many participants decked out in green to celebrate Irish heritage.

The Foundation is partnering with Adirondack Coast Events to host the race, which is benefiting the hospital’s Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Unit. Proceeds will be used to purchase musical instruments to incorporate into a therapeutic music program for our youth patients.

Foundation Events & Special Projects Manager Michelle Senecal says the Shamrock Shuffle offers a fun way to support initiatives like this at the local hospital.

“It’s amazing to see the community support we get each year for the event. We love to see everyone wearing ‘o’the green’ at the race, and it makes such a big difference for our patients and the care they are able to receive as a result of the people who participate,” Senecal adds.

Proceeds from previous Shuffles have helped support The Foundation’s Travel Fund, CVPH Cardiology and most recently, murals in patient rooms of the hospital’s Adult Inpatient Psychiatric Unit. “We are truly thankful to live and work in a community that believes in helping others and comes together at events like this to make a difference in the lives of their friends and neighbors,” says CVPH Associate Vice President of Philanthropy Kerry Haley, CFRE.

The cost to register is $25. The first 50 to sign up will receive a free water bottle. The first 50 people ages 21 and up to complete the course will get a free beer courtesy of Valcour Brewing Company. Runners can sign up by visiting the Adirondack Coast Events website or by heading to the race page on The Foundation’s website.

Anyone with questions can contact Michelle Senecal, Foundation Events & Special Projects Manager at (518) 314-3359 or email msenecal@cvph.org.