News

Lee University will host the 2024 65 Roses 5K as part of the Great Strides event held to raise funds for a cure for cystic fibrosis (CF). The race, along with the Great Strides Walk, will take place Saturday morning, March 23, and all proceeds will go to benefit the CF Foundation.  

“We are thrilled with all the support we have received from the community around this year’s event,” said Dr. Bill Estes, dean of Lee University’s Helen DeVos College of Education and race director. “We are hoping for another huge turnout from Cleveland and Bradley County students.” 

According to Estes, there will be a new start line on 11th street, and all staging will take place in Alumni Park and in front of the Paul Conn Student Center, making it easier for families and spectators by having all activities in the same place.  

The event will follow the regular route through downtown Cleveland, and all are welcome to run or walk the 5K or 1K Fun Run. All winners will receive a special edition coffee mug this year.  

The race cost is $20, and the Fun Run cost is $5. Event day registration will begin at 7 a.m., but runners are encouraged to register early. The 5K race/walk begins at 9, and the 1K Fun Run will take place at 9:30. Race winners will be announced at 9:45 a.m. and appear online via Lee’s 65 Roses website.  

“The people in Cleveland who are affected by cystic fibrosis take such encouragement from this event!” said Vanessa Hammond, a CF parent and member of the Great Strides. “Our CF community is grateful to see so many local runners, walkers, and supporters who care about changing the future of this disease.”  

Elite sponsors for this year’s 5K and Great Strides Walk are Chick-fil-A, Tennova Healthcare Cleveland, and Paul and Darlia Conn.  

Premier Plus Sponsors include Bank of Cleveland, Don Ledford Automotive Center, Legacy Village of Cleveland/Legacy Senior Living, and TriCon, Inc. Premier sponsors are Beaty Fabricating, Caldwell Paving and Grading, Cleveland Dental Associates – Dr. Ernie J. Oyler, Jr., Companion Funeral and Cremation, Easy Auto Incorporated, Eller and Owens Furniture, Hardee’s, Hiwassee Memorial Gardens, Jim Rush Funeral and Cremation, Olive Branch Event Center, Rotary Club of Cleveland, Keller Williams Cleveland – Steve Black, and Wright Brothers Construction.  

Kilometer sponsors are Andrew Johnson Bank, Ian Harper, Ocoee Oral Surgery – Drs. Hunter and Paul McCord, and Southern Heritage Bank. Community sponsors include Avail Senior Living, Cleveland Utilities, Gobble’s Automotive, Redemption to the Nations Church, Tennessee Valley Urology Center, and Wedgewood Accounting.  

Media sponsors are Edge Billboards and WCLE Mix 104.1, and community partners include Karis Community Health and Terra Running Company.  

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is a nonprofit donor-supported organization dedicated to attacking cystic fibrosis from every angle. Its focus is to support the development of new drugs to fight the disease, improve the quality of life for those with CF, and ultimately find a cure. In the last 30 years, the life expectancy of a child with CF has doubled, and research is happening daily to find a cure and develop drugs available to those living with CF.  

For more information about the CF Foundation, visit cff.org/. 

For more information or to register for the 65 Roses 5K, visit webpages.leeu.edu/cf/.