The 14th Annual Butterfly 5K Run/Walk was held last Saturday, June 3rd, 2023. The 5K is the major fundraiser event held each year to benefit The Butterfly Foundation. The Butterfly Foundation, a non-profit organization, raises money to assist families and children in Wayne and surrounding counties who have life-threatening or life-altering conditions.
In this year’s Butterfly 5K, 563 people registered, with 447 finishing. The One-Mile Fun Run had 76 registered, and 50 finishers.
In the first year of its existence, 2007-2008, The Butterfly Foundation gave grants totaling about three thousand dollars to local families who had children with life-threatening conditions to help with the financial costs of travel and hospital stays. Founder Dean Stegall said, “I thought that this was as good as it could get.” Little did she and the Stegall family know the impact the Foundation would have on more families in need of assistance.
The Butterfly Foundation announced in September of 2022 that they had officially reached the million dollar mark in money they have raised to help children with life-threatening or life-altering illnesses. The money for these gifts has come from a variety of sources: private donations in honor of and in memory of special people; the sale of t-shirts for Ryleigh’s Walk held each November; two books about the Foundation written and illustrated by local authors and artists; corporate donations; raffles; the Kiwanis Club Bar-B-Q dinner; and a host of other fundraisers. The greatest source of income has come from the sponsors and runners who participate in the 5K Run/Walk each year.
