Clarke Prep Sophomore’s Hope In Healing 5K Will Benefit Ronald McDonald House in Grove Hill

GROVE HILL, Ala. — Two years after heart surgery took her away from home, school and sports, a Clarke Prep sophomore is turning that experience into a way to help other families. Lauren Matthews, founder of the nonprofit Hope In Healing, will host the inaugural Hope In Healing 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run on Saturday, Oct. 17, in Grove Hill, with proceeds going to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Mobile.

The race starts at 8 a.m. at the pavilion at S.P. Hudson Park. Registration is $30 and includes a race T-shirt, and organizers say community members are welcome to run or walk either distance.

A hard year that became a mission

In 2024, when she was 14, Matthews underwent surgery for a heart condition. Her family spent a week at a hospital in New Orleans, and she then returned home for a month of recovery. Doctors restricted her from physical activity for six months afterward, a long stretch for a teenager who also plays volleyball.

The surgery and recovery were difficult for Matthews, but the medical crisis also took a toll on her family, who had to manage the stress of being away from home while she was in treatment. During that time, the family turned to the Ronald McDonald House, which gave them a place to stay, meals and support when they needed it most.

That kindness stayed with her. Matthews came away from the experience wanting to find a way to give the same kind of comfort and encouragement to other families facing a child’s medical challenges, and Hope In Healing grew out of that idea.

From nonprofit to first race

The 5K and Fun Run is Hope In Healing’s first public fundraiser. Matthews’ mother, Debra Matthews, said 37 participants had signed up as of earlier this week, and the family hopes the race will grow into an annual tradition in Grove Hill.

For Lauren Matthews, the event is a chance to take something painful and turn it into something useful for others. Her family learned firsthand how much it matters to have a place to sleep, a meal to eat and people offering encouragement during an uncertain time, and the race is meant to help make sure that support is there for the next family.

When she is not organizing fundraisers, Matthews is a student at Clarke Prep and a member of the school’s volleyball team, which has been one of the strongest in the region this fall.

What Ronald McDonald House Charities of Mobile does

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Mobile serves as a home away from home for families whose children are receiving care at area hospitals and other health care facilities. The House has 38 guest rooms, and about 700 families stay there each year. Families are not charged for their stay, which means parents already coping with medical bills and time away from work do not have to add lodging to their expenses.

Each family receives a private guest room, a hot meal every day, access to a stocked kitchen and pantry, laundry facilities and a playroom and playground for siblings. Thousands more families use Ronald McDonald Family Rooms inside USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital in Mobile, where parents can rest, eat or shower without leaving the hospital.

The Mobile House is part of a much larger network. The first Ronald McDonald House opened in Philadelphia in 1974, and the program has since spread to communities across the United States and around the world. Local chapters raise much of their own operating money through events, donations and community fundraisers like the one in Grove Hill.

Why it matters in rural Alabama

Families in rural communities such as Clarke County often live hours from the specialized pediatric care their children need. For Grove Hill residents, a trip to a children’s hospital in Mobile or New Orleans can mean days or weeks away from home, work and other children.

That distance is exactly the situation Ronald McDonald Houses were designed for. Many of the families who rely on the Mobile House come from small towns across south Alabama, northwest Florida and south Mississippi, and a free room close to the hospital can let parents stay by a child’s bedside instead of spending hours on the road.

By holding the race in Grove Hill, the county seat of Clarke County, Hope In Healing is bringing awareness of those services to a community whose families may one day need them.

How to take part

Runners and walkers of all abilities can sign up for either the 5K or the 1-Mile Fun Run. The shorter distance gives families, younger participants and casual walkers a way to join in. Those who cannot attend can still support the cause through Ronald McDonald House Charities of Mobile directly.

A 5K covers 3.1 miles, a distance many first-time runners and walkers can finish at a comfortable pace. For a charity race, the goal is participation rather than a fast time, and organizers have encouraged anyone in the community to come out. Participants should plan to arrive early to check in and pick up their T-shirts before the 8 a.m. start, wear comfortable shoes and bring water.

If you go

• What: Hope In Healing 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run, the nonprofit’s inaugural race
• When: Saturday, Oct. 17, starting at 8 a.m.
• Where: The pavilion at S.P. Hudson Park, Grove Hill
• Cost: $30 registration, includes a race T-shirt
• Benefits: Ronald McDonald House Charities of Mobile
• Organizer: Hope In Healing, founded by Clarke Prep sophomore Lauren Matthews