On Saturday, October 5, 2024, MICC hosted the 7th Annual Independence 5K Run/1-Mile Walk! Participants, families, friends, staff, and supporters arrived on this cool fall morning at Donaldson Park in Richfield to lace up their sneakers, hit the pavement, and most importantly gather together as a community to support autistic and neurodivergent adults. We had over 250 attendees, 40 volunteers, and raised over $17,900 for MICC!
Before the race began, the crowd gathered at the start line to hear opening remarks and race instructions from MICC CEO Amy Gudmestad, “I want to give an extra welcome to anyone who is attending their first MICC event – it’s great to have you here! MICC educates and guides autistic and neurodivergent individuals to create and sustain the lives they want to live. And we do it right here, with our participants living and working in the Richfield community. I would also like to thank our 5K sponsors who are helping to make this event possible, AuSM, Moffitt Insurance Group, and Marathon Petroleum.”
MICC Participant and fellow event emcee Aaron Cardenas took over to share his story as an MICC College program graduate, “I have met so many new friends at MICC and now I am proud of being more independent, learning to cook harder recipes, and using public transportation. I enjoy working at my new job as a food runner at Pinstripes in Edina. I want to thank the MICC staff, my friends, and my family for supporting me!”
Before Amy and Aaron started the race countdown, they had one more exciting announcement to share: the theme for MICC’s 22nd Annual Gala on March 15, 2025! And the big reveal was…
The Game of Life: Choose Your Own Adventure!
Get it on your calendar and start thinking of what you are going to wear for our Game of Life theme!
From the cheers of participants to the warm smiles of volunteers and the unwavering support from families and friends, the 2024 5K event truly showcased the power of MICC’s community. Your presence transformed Donaldson Park into a place of unity and empowerment. Also, a big thank you to all of our fantastic volunteers who helped to make this year’s 5K the best yet!
Our photographer captured so many amazing images during the 5K. Take a moment to relive the magic and check out the full album! See yourself crossing the finish line? Feel free to download a copy of your photo from the album to keep.
Or see your stats by clicking on the race results.
See you next year!
