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VALLEY — The kickoff meeting for the 2025 Hike/Bike/Run for Valley Haven School took place at the school on Tuesday evening. Planning is now under way for the 49th running of this important fundraiser for the school.

LaFayette Day will be taking place on Saturday, April 12th, the auction on Friday, April 25th and the Hike/Bike/Run on Saturday, May 3rd.

This year’s fundraising goal is $100,000. Until Covid hit in 2020 that goal was exceeded for more than 30 years in a row. Fundraising lagged that first Covid year but has bounced back since then, $100,000 is now a very reachable goal for a school with the kind of support Valley Haven has.

The Arc of the Chattahoochee Valley operates Valey Haven School. Its mission is to provide education, training, special instruction and other services for individuals, preschool and adult, who are intellectually disabled and/or developmentally delayed and who are not receiving these training services from any other school.

The Hike/Bike/Run is the largest fundraiser of the year for Valley Haven. What’s raised locally can be matched with federal and state grants on a 4-to-1 basis.

This year will mark the 29th year for LaFayette Day. Some of them in recent years have been marred by stormy weather. “Three rainy days in April is not bad in 29 years,” said Valley Haven Executive Director Craig Brown, “but we are hoping for a good weather Saturday this year.”

For a number of years the auction took place inside Valley Community Center. A couple of years ago it switched to the school. Things have gone well at the new location and will be back there again this year.

The auction items are gathered at the school prior to the auction. Having the auction there avoids having to transport them to a different location.

Another change took place with the Jane Carmack Memorial Walk. For a number of years it started in West Point and proceeded seven miles south to Valley Haven School. For the past couple of years it has taken place on a course near the school that goes past the Lakeview Cabin. It’s pretty much the same distance as the original walk.

The Jane Carmack walk honors the memory of a very dedicated supporter of Valley Haven School and the Hike/Bike.Run.

Other special events include Little Caesar’s Day on April 3rd and Skate Night from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, May 1st.

As it has been in recent years, the start/finish line for the May 3rd Hike/Bike/Run events will be located near the junction of Fairfax Bypass and Ram Stadium Drive, a short distance from Valley Haven School. The running events will include a one-mile run, a 4K run, one-mile and five-mile walks, a 10-mile bike ride and a kids’ ride in front of the school. Any youngster on a small bicycle, scooter or battery-powered ride will be welcome to take part.