Organizers of the Chillin’ in the Hills 5K run/walk and 1-mile fun run are gearing up for what they hope will be a second successful year after moving the event from January to May.

The race, formerly known as Chill in the Hills, is a fundraiser for the Grace Christian Counseling Center, and this year’s 16th annual event will get underway beginning at 8 a.m. May 11 at Martin’s at Midtown, 1101 Belmont St.

Laura Jones, who serves as the business manager for the counseling center said, in 2022, the decision was made to move the race from January to May due to weather issues.

“The weather is so unpredictable at that time of year and that greatly affected participation. We had everything from beautiful mild days to tornado warnings, to rainy cold days,” she said. “Therefore, we made the decision after the 2022 race that moving the event to a different time of year would most likely be beneficial for having decent weather.”

And it did. Jones said from 2022 to 2023, participation almost doubled. This year the counseling center is hoping to even double last year’s participation, she said.

In addition to moving the race to May, the GCCC also decided to combine the race with another fundraising event that supports the non-profit organization.

“We, historically, had our vendor market in March and November as an independent event, but last year we also decided to combine the race and our vendor market and have one large event in one location,” Jones said. “We had around 15 vendor booths that were located at the start, finish line area, which benefited the spectators. They walked around and shopped while the others were racing.”

This year, vendors who have already signed up to participate will be selling items that will include jewelry, custom t-shirts, custom tumblers, handmade bath and body products, and food.

Vendor applications are still available, and the cost of a booth is $40, Jones said, adding that since the event is scheduled the weekend before Mother’s Day, this would be a great opportunity for last-minute shopping.

GCCC has been celebrating its 25th anniversary this year with special events and during the race Jones said they would be throwing a birthday party.

“We will have cake, ice cream, music, a magician, a karaoke contest, hip-hop demonstrations and more,” she said.

For more information on Chillin’ In The Hills or vendor information, call 601-636-5703 or email gracecc@live.com.

Registration for the run/walk is $25 and free for the 1-mile fun run geared towards ages 12 and younger. To register online, visit https://raceroster.com/events/2024/75831/chillin-in-the-hills

The National Alliance on Mental Health reported that one in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year. In Mississippi, 120,000 adults have a serious mental illness. Mental health is no less important than physical health, officials said, so for that reason, all proceeds from this event go directly into GCCC’s un/under-insured fund.

Executive director of the counseling center, Dr. Walter Frazier, said this fund is used solely to help offset the cost of services for those in the community who may not have the funds or access to the counseling services they need.

“We do not turn anyone away because of their lack of funds or insurance coverage,” Frazier said. “Every person who reaches out to Grace will be met with a warm, friendly voice ready to meet them where they are in life and provide the counseling they need, whether it is family, couples, individual, substance abuse, or something else.”