11th Annual Baby Steps Memorial Run Draws Support for Amelia Center, Grieving Families

MCCALLA – The 11th annual Baby Steps Memorial 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run will be held Saturday, Sept. 14, at Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park (12634 Confederate Pkwy., McCalla). All proceeds from the run benefit The Amelia Center at Children’s of Alabama.

Registration for individuals and teams is available online for $25 for the timed 5K or $20 for the 1-mile fun run at https://runsignup.com/Race/AL/McCalla/babystepsal. The fees increase for in-person registration the day of the race to $30 for the timed 5K or $25 for the 1-mile fun run. Individual same day registration and packet pick up is at 7 a.m., followed by the start of the 5K and 1-mile fun run at 8 a.m.

All participants registering by Sept. 1 are guaranteed free admission into the park, a race shirt and a race bag. Refreshments, door prizes, awards and a balloon release will follow the race. Children age 5 and under “race” free with the paid registration of a parent.

The Baby Steps Memorial Run is an event that allows grieving families and their friends to come together to remember their loved ones in a supportive, caring environment. The Amelia Center is a non-profit program of Children’s of Alabama which has served as a place of hope for grieving children, parents and families since 1997. The center offers free grief counseling to parents and grandparents who have suffered the loss of a child and also to children who have lost loved ones. The center operates by donations and continued support from its community members. For more information on The Amelia Center visit ameliacenter.org. 

In its first 10 years, the Baby Steps Memorial 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run raised more than $100,000 for The Amelia Center. More than 500 people participate in the run/walk every year.

Since 1911, Children’s of Alabama has provided specialized medical care for ill and injured children, offering inpatient and outpatient services throughout central Alabama. Ranked among the best pediatric medical centers in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Children’s provided care for youngsters from every county in Alabama, 42 other states and seven foreign countries last year, representing more than 677,000 outpatient visits and more than 15,000 inpatient admissions. With more than 2 million square feet, Children’s is one of the largest pediatric medical facilities in the United States.