Pound the Pavement for Peter Family 5K run to raise money for children with disabilities

Metro-Atlanta families can hit the ground running for a cause at the Pound the Pavement for Peter Family 5K Run March 25 at the Capitol City Club in Brookhaven.

Pound the Pavement for Peter was started in 2009 in honor of Peter Hopkins, who was diagnosed with a Peroxisomal Disorder at four months old. Peter was born Nov. 5, 2006, to his parents, Anne Park and Matt Hopkins.

Peroxisomal disorders are a group of hereditary metabolic disorders that occur when peroxisomes — parts of a cell that produce enzymes to break down fatty acids — are missing or do not function correctly in the body.

Peter was blind, deaf (had a cochlear implant), fed through a tube in his stomach (g-tube), and never sat, walked or talked. Peter died Oct. 24, 2010, just shy of his fourth birthday.

Registration for this year’s race starts at 7:30 a.m. and the race kicks off at 8:15 a.m. Pound the Pavement for Peter is $30 per person and children ages 10 and under are free. This year, Pound the Pavement for Peter will benefit The Adaptive Learning Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the Global Foundation for Peroxisomal Disorders and the newly added Kyle Pease Foundation.

“Pound the Pavement for Peter’s proceeds this year will be donated to fund critical aspects for maximizing the quality of life for these children, as well as inspiring hope for their families — Disease Research, Medical Care, Inclusion in Education and Sports,” Peter’s aunt Allisa Huestis said. “We cannot think of a better way to honor Peter’s memory and children with similar afflictions than supporting these charities which work to enhance the lives of children and families living with severe disabilities.”

The Kyle Pease Foundation aims to improve the lives of people with disabilities through sports. The foundation works with athletes through scholarship opportunities, purchasing of medical equipment or adaptive sports equipment for others, or contributing to other organizations that provide similar assistance to disabled persons.

In 2022, the foundation supplied chairs for runners with disabilities and will do so again this year. Participants from the nonprofit Extra Special People, Inc. were invited to participate and use the race chairs provided by the Kyle Pease Foundation.

“We know that Peter is smiling down watching these individuals compete along side their able bodied peers,” Huestis said.

For more information, visit https://poundthepavementforpeter.com/.