15th Annual Run on the Wild Side 5k foot race will be Thursday Sept. 27th at The Virginia Zoo. Registration starts at 5:30pm and the race starts at 6:30pm. The after party will be at the Fountain Plaza just inside The Virginia Zoo. Participants will receive a t-shirt and a finisher's medal (guaranteed to the first 200). There will be pizza and beer at the post race party...along with music!

The Run on the Wild Side is a fun AND important fundraising event for the award winning non-profit - LEE'S FRIENDS - Helping People Live with Cancer. The race this year will be a twilight event starting in the parking lot in front of The Virginia Zoo at 6:30 pm (registration begins at 5:30 pm) The course is out and back through the historic neighborhood of Riverview. After the race, awards will be presented at the Fountain Plaza just inside The Virginia Zoo. Awards will go to the top three male and female runners overall, as well as, the top three male and female finishers in the following age brackets: 19&under, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and 60+. All runners are invited to join us for the post race party featuring pizza, beer and music.

If you'd like to volunteer at this event, there are opportunities to assist with registration and a water stop. You can also help as a course marshal. If you're interested in lending a hand at this fun event, e-mail LEE'S FRIENDS Patient and Volunteer Coordinator, Susan Lawler at [email protected].

LEE’S FRIENDS, an award winning area-wide support program for cancer patients and their families, was named after Lee Harkins who died of Hodgkin’s Disease at age 16 on April 30, 1978. Each and every day the staff and volunteers of the organization help people live with cancer. Our trained volunteers offer friendship, comfort, consolation and concern in a confidential setting. LEE’S FRIENDS help to meet basic human needs in cases of hardship. Volunteers visit cancer patients and their families at home and in the hospital. The paid and volunteer staff coordinate client requests for transportation and provide knowledge of community resources. For over 39 years, LEE’S FRIENDS has been the answer for thousands of cancer patients and their family members when they don’t know where to turn upon hearing the diagnosis of cancer. For more information, call (757)440-7501.