ST. GEORGE — In support of foster care children, Utah Foster Care staff and family members participated in the “Lake to Lake” Relay on Saturday.
Utah Foster Care is hosting a “Teaming up for Foster Care” virtual event on Wednesday starting at 6 p.m. for people interested in becoming foster parents or for those who want to learn more. For registration and information on the free virtual event, click here.
The Lake to Lake event is a 50-mile team relay that starts at Gunlock Reservoir and ends at Sand Hollow Reservoir, a route that takes runners through the scenic landscapes of Southern Utah, as well as along city trail systems and backcountry roads
Utah Foster Care teams participated in the Lake to Lake Relay this year, Ben Ashcraft, the organization’s southwest region representative, told St. George News. While the run was slightly hampered by heavy winds, he said the staff had a great time teaming up, supporting each other and advocating for the children placed in foster care, as well as the families that open their homes to these children.
Utah Foster Care had three teams comprised of 21 runners, 20 of whom were either foster care staff or family members.
One runner, Joey Farnsworth, was adopted from the foster care program when he was a child. Now an adult, he is married and “doing very well,” Ashcraft said.
This was the second relay that Farnsworth has participated in. The first was several years ago when he ran with his father, who was a trainer with Utah Foster Care.
When Farnsworth got wind of the relay, he didn’t want to miss out on the fun, Ashcraft added. So he ran the most difficult uphill leg of the race for one of the teams.
The Lake to Lake Relay teams typically consist of five adult runners who each run two legs of the 50-mile relay, Ashcraft said. But because most of the staff were not runners and just wanted to support foster care families, the agency put together two 10-person teams and just ran for fun.
While they came in last place out of the 80 teams that ran that day, Ashcraft said that like children entering the foster care system who often have been handed so many challenges, they supported each other and finished the race together.
Ashcraft decided to run the entire 50 miles as an ultra-runner, which was the longest run he has ever completed at one time, he said. The feat was made possible by the runners from two other teams who rallied behind him the entire way.
“They cheered me on at each aid station and stopped along the way to see if I needed any support,” he said.
Ashcraft likened the experience to what children in foster care encounter, and how much they need the support of their foster family to endure life’s challenges as they continue their journey.
“We could be their difference makers,” Ashcraft said. “I know my foster team was my lifeline for the day and their support, confidence and encouragement kept me going.”
For Nikki MacKay, CEO of Utah Foster Care, the relay “provided a wonderful opportunity for the team of Utah Foster Care to spend the day together running, laughing and cheering each other on through the wind and rain,” she said in an email.
MacKay added the race also provided the opportunity for the participants to push themselves outside of their comfort zones, to raise awareness for the need for more foster families – while having a blast in the process.
“The highlight for me was having a young man that was adopted from foster care join one of the teams as a runner and be a part of the day,” MacKay added.
Utah Adoption Connections’ Kendra Healey also ran in the relay and said, “We had a blast, which I was not anticipating because I am not a runner, but we had so much fun as a team and would love to do it again.”
Another team of runners from the “Raise the Future” program also participated in the relay to raise awareness for their “Wendy’s Wonderful Kids” program, which is also in need of more adoptive families as well. Both programs are designed to reduce the amount of time youth in foster care live without a permanent family.
While the number of children in foster has gone down in recent years, so has the number of foster parents willing to take some of society’s most vulnerable children in.
For more information on Utah Foster Care call 877 505-5437 or visit the Utah Foster Care website here.
Photo Gallery
20 runners from Utah Foster Care participated in the Lake to Lake relay event held Saturday, Washington County, Utah, March 1, 2024 | Photo courtesy of Ben Ashcraft, St. George News Staff and family members of Utah Foster Care participate in the 50-mile Lake to Lake relay event held Saturday, Washington County, Utah, March 1, 2024 | Photo courtesy of Ben Ashcraft, St. George News Staff and family members of Utah Foster Care participate in the 50-mile Lake to Lake relay event held Saturday, Washington County, Utah, March 1, 2024 | Photo courtesy of Ben Ashcraft, St. George News Participants from Utah Foster Care are undaunted by wind and rain during the annual 50-mile Lake to Lake relay event held Saturday, Washington County, Utah, March 1, 2024 | Photo courtesy of Ben Ashcraft, St. George News Staff and family members of Utah Foster Care participate in the 50-mile Lake to Lake relay event held Saturday, Washington County, Utah, March 1, 2024 | Photo courtesy of Ben Ashcraft, St. George News Staff and family members of Utah Foster Care participate in the 50-mile Lake to Lake relay event held Saturday, Washington County, Utah, March 1, 2024 | Photo courtesy of Ben Ashcraft, St. George News 
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