LVC will host inaugural ‘Move Along’ walk/run to support Covenant House PA

Lebanon Valley College is hosting a 5k run/1-mile walk in April to raise awareness of (and funds for) Covenant House PA, an agency that provides services for youth who are homeless or have survived trafficking.

According to a release from LVC spokesman Tom Hanrahan, associate professor of psychology Dr. Jenna Marx designed Homelessness and Affordable Housing in Our Community as an Immersive Experience course that challenges students with a hands-on approach to social issues affecting countless people in the U.S. She and her students brainstormed at the start of the semester and came up with the idea of creating a fundraiser to partner with a charitable organization that helps young adults experiencing homelessness.

The fundraiser they designed is “Move Along,” a 5k run with a 1-mile walk that is handicapped accessible and will provide volunteer student “walking buddies” upon request.

“We picked the name ‘Move Along’ to allude to the ongoing issue of people who are experiencing homelessness being forced to move out of public places. This is something that can be seen in legislation, architecture, and public opinions around the country. As recently as last year, the Supreme Court ruled that cities are allowed to ban people from sleeping outside and on the streets,” according to the registration website. “This is incredibly harmful as it is actively stripping people in these situations of their ability to find somewhere to sleep.”

The website also notes that some communities employ “hostile architecture” to prevent people camping or sleeping in public spaces, as well as “sweeps,” in which police officers or municipal officials drive homeless people out of an area and confiscate their belongings.

“We are using this event as a way to bring awareness to these issues in a meaningful and proactive way. We cannot stand idly by as people in our country are treated so inhumanely,” the website explains. “We want to reclaim the term ‘move along’ and turn it into something positive. By helping people experiencing homelessness now, we can help them to someday be able to ‘move along’ to more stable housing and to a better future.”

The event begins at 8 a.m. Saturday, April 18, on the LVC campus. Registration is available online. Online registrations close on April 17, and day-of registrations will be taken on-site.

Cost until March 15 is (including fees) is $38,10 for the k5 ($22.20 for participants ages 6-12), and $27.50 for the 1-mile ($16.90 for participants ages 6-12). The event is free for infants through age 5. Costs will increase on March 16.

Anyone who wants to support the fundraiser without participating in the walk or run can make a donation online.

Food trucks, including Annville’s Cafe Haj Paj, will be on site for the event. Sponsors include Strunk Creative and Lebanon Valley College (Champion Level), and Steller Floors, Central Medical Ambulance Services, and Hummelstown Print House (Sprinter Level). Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available.

Founded in 1972, Covenant House has served more than 1.5 million young people experiencing homelessness and trafficking, according to its website. It is, the website notes, “the largest, primarily privately funded charity in North and Central America providing immediate and long-term support for young people facing homelessness and survivors of trafficking.” Regionally, Covenant House PA has shelters at 307 E. King St., York, and 31 E. Armat St., Philadelphia.