Three great reasons to get out

Published 10:00 pm Tuesday, April 17, 2012

If you’re looking for a cause to support, Saturday could be your lucky day. Suffolk will host three major fundraising events for three worthwhile charities, and each of them is still looking for donors and support.

The Tour de Cure rolls into Suffolk for the first time on Saturday. The annual event, which supports the American Diabetes Association, gives cyclists from all around the area a chance to raise money through pledges of support. They then ride one of four courses — 10, 30, 65 or 100 miles — around Suffolk and the surrounding area. The event begins and ends at King’s Fork High School, where there will be a health fair, food, games and entertainment. The Tour is a great chance to raise money to fight one of the most prevalent and debilitating health issues facing the people of Suffolk and Western Tidewater. For more information about the Tour, visit www.diabetes.org/hamptonroadsvatour.

In the northern end of the city, the Bon Secours Foundation Cancer Care Fund will hold a 5K for Colon Cancer and 1-Mile Fun Walk to raise money to help provide care for colon cancer patients. The race begins at 9 a.m. at Bon Secours Health Center at Harbour View, 5818 Harbour View Blvd. Colorectal cancer is the No.-2 cancer for American adults in terms of prevalence and deadliness. Your $25 registration will help provide relief to someone who could surely use it. Register for the event online at www.bshr.com/colonrun.

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And for those who want to walk in support of the lives of unborn babies, the Crisis Pregnancy Center of Tidewater’s annual Walk for Life is set for downtown Suffolk on Saturday morning. The Suffolk walk will feature a live band, a bounce house and popcorn, tours of the Suffolk location and more activities, according to organizers. Participants collect pledges for donations to the CPC, which uses the funds to help pay for ultrasounds, pregnancy tests, pregnancy confirmation by a physician, parenting and prenatal classes, tangible resources such as strollers, clothes and other baby needs, an abortion recovery program and more. Walkers must be pre-registered. For more information visit www.cpcfriends.org.

Saturday’s forecast includes a few clouds, but springtime temperatures will be back by then, and these three events should give you plenty of reason to get outside and enjoy the day while doing something that will benefit someone who needs your help.