What's Happening in Naples, FL…

The Naples-based Wellfit Girls program will be holding its annual fundraising run virtually this year, with participants encouraged to challenge themselves across southwest Florida and beyond.

This will be the sixth edition of the springtime race, called the Virtual Hop to the Top Easter 5K and designed to coincide with the long weekend. The virtual format allows for considerable customization. Participants can run, walk or jog a distance of either five kilometers or one mile along an outside path of their choice, or even on a track or treadmill. The run is an individual challenge but encourages participants to run alongside friends or family members to help provide motivation. The 2020 edition, the first to use a virtual format, saw over 350 participate from across 37 states and 9 countries.

Hop to the Top will use registration fees and donations to support Wellfit Girls, which promotes physical and mental health among teenage girls in southwest Florida. The funds will support programs such as the Wellfit Adventure Camp, the five-month Summit Sisters program and Mentors in Action, all of which aim to help develop leadership and empower young women. Many charitable runs and walks across the world have adopted virtual formats over the last year, often using tools like social media and brochure printing to inform people about the change and drum up participation.

The 2021 edition of Hop to the Top will take place virtually on Saturday, April 3.