“Kilwins Jacksonville Ice Cream Run” is happening this Saturday on Mar. 25, 2023 at 7:30 am at the St. John’s Town Center. 

The ice cream shop is fundraising for families to be able to send their children to the Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech. 

Registration for the 5K is $35 if you register before Mar. 24, and $40 if you register the day of. For the 1 Mile Fun Run it is 25$ if you register by Mar. 25.

This will be Kilwins’s tenth year hosting this event. They’ve already raised thousands of dollars and it continues to increase.

The story of the beginning of the run starts with the owners of Kilwins Jacksonville’s daughter, Haley Dougherty. She was born with a partial hearing disorder. Dougherty attended Clarke Schools from the age of three until kindergarten, where she was then able to live out the rest of her life like everyone else.

“I would be unable to speak and hear right now if it weren’t for Clarke,” Dougherty said.

The owners, Dana and Vance, wanted children just like Dougherty to be able to go to the school and be able to get control of their senses again. 

The first female and male who place in the 5K win one year of free Kilwins ice cream. The winner of best costume gets one gallon of Kilwins ice cream.

When runners finish the 5K, they will end in the Kilwins shop parking lot, which will have free all-you-can-eat ice cream to runners there.

Kilwins is ready to host the event and they are looking for everyone to come and participate to raise as much money for as many kids as possible.