Description:

Attention walkers and runners of all ages! Registration is still open for the 27th annual Freedom Run 5K benefiting Mt. Evans Hospice in Evergreen. Whether you walk, run, stroll, or cheer from the sidelines, the Freedom Run 5K is a great way to kick off your Fourth of July. And the event doesn't end at the finish line-after the race, participants and their families and friends are invited to enjoy great refreshments, music, and prizes at Nick's Pro Fitness in Evergreen. Sign up for this mountain-area tradition today at www.mtevans.org.

The scenic 5-kilometer (3.1 miles) course follows gently rolling terrain through residential areas, beginning at Evergreen Middle School at 8:00 a.m. and ending at Nick's Pro Fitness. Free child care will be provided at Nick's from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Space is limited to 20 children; call Mt. Evans at 303-674-6400 to make a child-care reservation.

Denver-area running stores will be open for walk-in registration June 20 through July 2. Mountain-area registration sites at Mt. Evans Hospice, the Buchanan Recreation Center, Nick's Pro Fitness, and Paragon Sports will be open to entrants from June 20 until noon July 3.

The race entry fee for participants registering before July 4 is $25 for adults and $12 for children under 14. Registration fee on race day is higher-$30 for adults and $15 for children under 14.

Funds raised by the Freedom Run will help Mt. Evans care for underinsured or uninsured patients as well as support numerous services provided by Mt. Evans, including grief counseling, transportation for patients to medical appointments, respite care for family caregivers, and Camp Comfort, a bereavement camp for children. For more information about the 2008 Freedom Run, go to www.mtevans.org or call 303-674-6400.