Online registration is now open for the 13th annual Lilly’s Lope for Hope, the 5-kilometer run/walk that raises money and promotes awareness of youth suicide.
This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 17, at Philomath City Park and on surrounding streets. An early-bird registration discount is available through Sept. 30.
The timed 5K is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., with check-in and on-site registration starting at 9 a.m. A resource fair featuring local agencies that serve youth and teens and a fundraising raffle will run from 9-11 a.m. Raffle winners will be announced after the race.
Organizers invite participants of all ages, including those with strollers or wheelchairs. Children under 3 participate for free.
The annual event is named in memory of a Philomath High School student, Lilly Stagner, who died by suicide in 2013. Proceeds help provide mental health counseling and suicide prevention education for Benton County youth.
Old Mill Center for Children and Families has presented Lilly’s Lope since 2023.
“Lilly’s Lope gives our community a chance to come together, talk openly about youth mental health and show young people that they are not alone,” Bettina Schempf, Old Mill Center executive director, said through a press release. “Every step helps support access to mental health services and suicide prevention education for local youth.”
Old Mill Center is a Corvallis-based nonprofit founded in 1977. Its seven programs support the social, emotional, physical and mental health needs of families in Benton and Linn counties.
Registration, volunteer and sponsorship information is available on the event’s webpage.
(If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.)