Hundreds of children and their parents gathered at the Operation Smile ‘Final Mile’ event, which occurs annually at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront boardwalk.
According to the Operation Smile Final Mile website, the Shamrock Final Mile is designed to teach kids the importance of exercise and commitment. Through Operation Smile, they also learn the value of giving to others. Students ages 5 to 12 can participate, and it’s easy. Children run 25.2 miles before race day, just a few miles a week. Then, students come together to run their “final mile” to complete a marathon at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. Students can log miles in PE class, a running club, or with friends and family after school.
The Final Mile consists of a continuous walking, running, and jogging program for elementary school-aged children. All profits go to the Operation Smile organization, which involves student members who travel worldwide to offer assistance to children who await surgeries for their cleft lips and palates. Not every boy or girl can go to school; sometimes, kids with cleft lips and cleft palates are often bullied and made fun of, which makes the thought of going to school very scary.
The event began at 10 a.m. with a stage presentation, speaking to parents and their kids about the true meaning behind the ‘Final Mile’ race. Then, there were some warm-up dances to get everyone excited. Afterwards, many high school and middle school students lined up from 31st Street to 37th Street to cheer on the little runners.
Racing began at 11 a.m. with a corral of runners released every ten minutes, with the last at noon. CHS students stood with peers from Catholic High School as they high-fived and encouraged the kids.
“The Final Mile was such a good time, I had so much fun cheering on the kids to support a great cause,” junior Kiley Frostad said.
The race not only allows children to release pent-up energy and participate in a fun race with their friends and family but also works to raise awareness for children all over the world with cleft palate and lip conditions.
For more information, please visit operationsmile.org/studentprograms.
