St. Joseph Healthcare invites community to Commit to Community 5K, 10K

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) - St. Joseph Healthcare is inviting the community to its Commit to Community 5K, 10K, walk and run and kids obstacle course on Sunday, September 27th.

The event gets underway at 8:30 a.m. at Broadway Park in Bangor.

While the event is family-friendly, its purpose is to support the Sexual Assault Forensic Program and the nurses who are there for survivors when they need them most.

The fundraising goal this year is $250,000.

Same day registration begins at 7:30 a.m. Sunday morning.

“We want survivors to know they can come here and receive evidence based, trauma informed, and patient led care,” said Katie Roberts, RN, SANE A/P, ME-SAFE A/P, Assistant Nurse Manager, SAFE Program Coordinator.

The SAFE Program provides survivors with specialized medical care with an option for evidence collection and connections to advocates and community resources. The SAFE Program connects patients with advocates for continued support once they leave the hospital. SAFE nurses also engage with the local domestic violence taskforce, sex and labor trafficking response team, as well as other multi-disciplinary teams.

Participants can register for the 5K, 10K or Kids Obstacle Course. St. Joseph Hospital is the only hospital in Maine that has prioritized dedicated in-person staffing.

For those unable to participate in the race, St. Joseph Healthcare is seeking volunteers to help with course support, registration, the Kids Obstacle Course and other race-day needs.