Freed-to-Run

Freed to Run $2.25 million multi-marathon fundraiser to begin Monday at Florida Supreme Court, end Saturday at Duval County Courthouse
Proceeds to benefit Jacksonville Area Legal Aid’s pediatric medical-legal partnership

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With more than $1.5 million raised since 2017, Freed to Run 5.0 is set to begin Nov. 15, continuing a multi-marathon quest to endow Jacksonville Area Legal Aid’s Northeast Florida Medical Legal Partnership (NFMLP) with $2.25 million.

Gunster Shareholder Mike Freed and Florida Bar President Mike Tanner, one of Freed’s Gunster partners, will hit the road together Monday at 9:30 a.m. from the steps of the Florida Supreme Court for the first of six marathons ending on the lawn of the Duval County Courthouse Saturday, Nov. 20. With them will be a team from VyStar Credit Union, which is fielding a team for each marathon, an event first. Nine other teams will participate in a marathon each.

The final marathon will be Freed’s 30th in five years to support the partnership between JALA and area health-care institutions that provides civil legal aid to children who are chronically or critically ill. Each team is collecting donations that will enable JALA to permanently support civil legal aid to Northeast Florida pediatric patients and their families through the NFMLP. All funds raised are matched at 125 percent by Baptist Health up to $1.25 million.

The event also includes a 5k ending in conjunction with the final marathon. The Finish Line & Celebration will be held Nov. 20 from 4-5 p.m. on the lawn of the Duval County Courthouse.

Marathon & 5k Start Times* & Locations
*Approximate times. Finish of the first five marathons will be at the start of the next marathon, about 4-5 hours after the start.

First Marathon
Monday, Nov. 15, 9:30 a.m.
Florida Supreme Court
500 S. Duval St., Tallahassee
Second Marathon
Tuesday, Nov. 16, 9:00 a.m.
Jefferson County Court
1 Courthouse Circle, Monticello
Third Marathon
Wednesday, Nov. 17, 8:45 a.m.
Madison County Courthouse
125 Range St., Madison
Fourth Marathon
Thursday, Nov. 18, 8:30 a.m.
Suwannee Circuit Court
200 S. Ohio Ave., Live Oak
Fifth Marathon
Friday, Nov. 19, 8:15 a.m.
Columbia County Courthouse
173 N.E. Hernando Ave., Lake City
Sixth Marathon
Saturday, Nov. 20, 10:00 a.m.
Baker County Courthouse
339 E. Macclenny Ave., Macclenny
5k Run
Saturday, Nov. 21, 3:15 p.m.
Jacksonville Farmers Market
1810 W. Beaver St., Jacksonville
Finish Line Celebration
Saturday, Nov. 21, 4 p.m.
Duval County Courthouse
501 W Adams St., Jacksonville
Major sponsors include Driver, McAfee, Hawthorne & Diebenow, PLLC, Elite Parking Services,
Florida Blue, Gunster, Jacksonville Transportation Authority, UF Health, and VyStar Credit Union.

 

About the Northeast Florida Medical Legal Partnership

The NFMLP is part of a nationwide network of projects in which professionals from the medical and legal communities combine resources to produce outcomes for low-income and vulnerable patients (children and adults) that positively impact their health and ability to thrive. Through the partnership, Jacksonville Area Legal Aid serves about 200 children a year, including patients of Wolfson Children’s Hospital, Nemours Children’s Specialty Care, Jacksonville, UF Health Specialty Pediatric Clinics, and Community PedsCare®, a pediatric program of Community Hospice & Palliative Care.

About Jacksonville Area Legal Aid
The mission of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid Inc. is to provide high-quality legal assistance to low-income and other special-need groups and to stimulate and empower groups of poor people to accomplish energetic and affirmative advocacy, all to alleviate the circumstances, incidence and causes of poverty.