SLS Community hosts 5K Dash, Fun Run to assist neurodivergent adults

SLS Community is a nonprofit service supplier for neurodivergent adults with mental and developmental disabilities. Ashton McCombs IV is the manager director. He visited with Ozarks at Large’s Sophia Nourani within the Harold and Blanche Caulk News Studio to debate their upcoming SLS 5K Dash and Fun Run.

Proceeds from the race, which takes place on Nov. 8, will go towards supporting the work at SLS, which McCombs explains as home- and community-based providers.

Ashton McCombs: So we now have a residential program after which Program Forge, which is, we wish to name it, a vocational equipping program the place the objective is job placement and instructing completely different job improvement expertise.

Sophia Nourani: And we’re speaking a couple of run right now. You’ve hosted just a few of those earlier than?

Ashton McCombs: Yeah. So the SLS Dash 5K and one-mile Fun Run for Neurodiversity is our greatest neighborhood occasion yearly. It sort of goes all through the aspect of our future operations. We have plans for a reside, work, play neighborhood as a part of a improvement referred to as Cato Springs in south Fayetteville, proper subsequent to Kessler Mountain Regional Park.

So the objective of this occasion is admittedly to offer an accessible platform for health, motion, and exercise for runners and walkers, actually of all backgrounds and talents. You don’t need to be a runner — neurodivergent and neurotypical.

It’s a extremely enjoyable occasion. We’ll have distributors, music, a DJ, meals — the entire 9 yards. It’s a superb time. This is the third iteration. It began in 2022, the second was 2023, we skipped final 12 months as a result of we had been going by way of the Medicaid credentialing course of. We simply wished to bust by way of that, and now we’re again greater and higher than ever this 12 months.

Sophia Nourani: Why particularly do you guys select to do the run? Health is a vital side, however are you able to inform me a bit of bit about why you select to do that particular occasion?

Ashton McCombs: Yeah, we put a giant concentrate on entire well being in our programming and providers. Our focus is on neurodivergent adults, however this race is for all ages, all backgrounds, actually for anyone.

After highschool, I feel there are fewer shops for neurodivergent people which can be accessible for motion and exercise. It’s such an necessary a part of your lifespan — discovering methods to maneuver and get exterior. So that is only a actually enjoyable, supportive occasion and alternative to try this.

This is Nov. 8. Both races, the 5K and the Fun Run, will begin at 9 a.m. Race day check-in begins at 7 a.m.

One factor I forgot to say is the theme this 12 months is “Dash Like a Hero.” Due to the proximity to Halloween, volunteers and runners are inspired to return dressed as their favourite superheroes. Or you possibly can repurpose any family-friendly Halloween costume. We positively encourage that — or simply come nevertheless is snug for you. Race shirts are included in registration.

Sophia Nourani: Oh, very cool. And the place can individuals discover registration?

Ashton McCombs: Just go to wslscommunity.org or simply Google “WSLS for Neurodiversity.” We’re on every kind of race calendars and occasion calendars within the space. We encourage individuals to enroll two weeks prematurely to verify we now have your dimension and race shirt on race day. We’ll have some extras, however can’t assure, so two weeks out is finest.

Sophia Nourani: Are you going to be within the run as properly?

Ashton McCombs: I will likely be, yeah. I’ll be operating round.

Sophia Nourani: Do you wish to run?

Ashton McCombs: I do, yeah. I don’t run as a lot as I ought to, however I’ll be sort of behind the scenes making all the pieces occur. We’ve at all times had a extremely robust volunteer outpouring. We nonetheless have alternatives for volunteers to become involved — an entire host of various positions, whether or not it’s course marshal, setup, takedown, or water stations on the start-finish line.

Sophia Nourani: Can individuals discover all that on the identical website?

Ashton McCombs: All on the race website, yep.

Sophia Nourani: What was that hyperlink once more, yet another time?

Ashton McCombs: wsls.org.

Sophia Nourani: Do you guys often host it round this time of 12 months?

Ashton McCombs: We do, yeah. We do it within the fall. We often schedule across the soccer season. This was sort of a bye week in November. There aren’t that many races in November, so we’re making an attempt to fill a spot there.

Both races are chipped, so in case you’re coming to get your time or simply coming to finish a 5K or one-mile Fun Run, it’s actually for everyone.

That was SLS Community govt director Ashton McCombs IV talking with Ozarks at Large’s Sophia Nourani within the Harold and Blanche Caulk News Studio.

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