Nease High School’s International Baccalaureate students will hold the End Your Summer Off Right 5K from 7:30 to 9 a.m. July 29 to benefit St. Johns County Legal Aid, the St. Augustine office of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid.
Sponsored by Nocatee, the event at 400 Nocatee Center Way in Ponte Vedra will raise funds and awareness for two of St. Johns County Legal Aid’s key domestic violence prevention initiatives: injunctions for protection and immigration petitions for abused spouses and trafficking victims.
“We are so grateful to these students for supporting St. Johns County Legal Aid in this important work,” said Megan Wall, the managing attorney for the office. “We hope to see a lot of participation from throughout the community.”
JALA and St. Johns County Legal Aid represent domestic violence and abuse survivors in filing for injunctions for protection against domestic violence, dating violence, sexual violence and related matters. With the special funding they receive, they can represent clients in these cases regardless of whether the clients meet their income eligibility criteria.
Domestic violence survivors who are immigrants can be particularly vulnerable to abuse by their sponsors. JALA and St. Johns County Legal Aid help them petition for immigration status without the help of their abuser under the Violence Against Women Act. They also help other immigrant victims or trafficking victims in petitioning for immigration status.
The Nease High School student organizers will be fulfilling a requirement for the Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) component of their IB curriculum and showcasing their commitment to community engagement through the event.
“As an alumnus of Nease High School and a member of the JALA board, I’m exceedingly proud of these students for recognizing the importance of the domestic violence prevention work St. Johns County Legal Aid does and for stepping up to help in this way,” said Stephen Holmgren, an attorney with Purcell, Flanagan, Hay & Greene, P.A., in Jacksonville.
Registration is $25, plus a $2.50 processing fee. Register or donate at: www.jaxlegalaid.org/endyoursummer5k.
