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VALLEY — The 2024 Hike/Bike/Run fundraiser for Valley Haven School has exceeded its $100,000 goal. Though all the donations have yet to be counted, the fundraising total is around $104,000.

“We are so pleased the community came through once again in supporting Valley Haven School,” Executive Director Craig Brown told The Valley Times-News.”We want to thank everyone for making it possible.”

The money raised locally is important to keep Valley Haven doing the good work it does for adults with an intellectual disability or babies with developmental delays.

Fundraising through the Hike/Bike/Run provides the local match needed to receive funds from state and federal sources.

Valley Haven is operated by the Arc of the Chattahoochee Valley.

Its mission is to provide education, training, special instruction and other services for preschool children who may have a developmental delay or adults who have an intellectual disability and who are not receiving these training services from any other local source.

Fundraising events leading up to the May 4th Hike/Bike/Run included LaFayette Day on Saturday, May 13th, the Hike/Bike/Run Auction on Friday evening, April 26, Skate Night at the Skatin’ Rink on Fob James Drive, a Spirit Night at Little Caesar’s Pizza and the Peach Walk at the Georgia Visitor Center on I-85. All of these events are important in raising funds toward the $100,000 goal.

Some great weather helped make this year’s LaFayette Day one of the best ones in recent years.

Good crowds were on hand throughout the day to enjoy good food cooked on site by vendors, live entertainment from a stage, a car show with close to 40 vehicles and a lot of fun games for the kids.

The auction was also well attended and brought in close to $8,000.

This year was the 48th year for a Hike/Bike/Run but the first one without Tony Edmondson, the long-time former director of the school. He died earlier this year.

The running events in this year’s Hike/Bike/Run were held in his memory. He and the late Albert Thornton played key roles in getting the running events organized in the Hike/Bike/Run’s early days.