When she passed away last year, artist and fitness trainer Kathleen Girdler Engler left behind a colorful and active legacy. 

While her large-scale sculptures are prominently displayed at sites throughout the Augusta area, including the entrance of HealthSouth/Walton Rehabilitation Hospital, to her friends, she will always be Kath—a woman who loved giving, loved fitness, loved art and loved children. 

In her memory, Walton Foundation for Independence—one of Engler’s causes—is proud to announce the 1^st Annual 5K Run With Art, Saturday, April 18 in downtown Augusta. Engler was a longtime supporter of the foundation’s popular Undercover Artists Show fundraiser and also hosted her own Run With Art camps for hundreds of local children. The run will be held the Saturday following the Undercover Artists Show. 

The 5K Run With Art in Memory of Kath Engler is open to all ages and abilities to run, walk or roll in the 5K event or a 1-mile fun run. The event benefits Walton Foundation’s camps for children and young adults with physical disabilities, including Camp To Be Independent, one of the nation’s only summer camps for children and young adults living with a traumatic brain injury; and Walton Winter Weekend, a weekend camp for children with physical disabilities and their families, which debuted in February 2015. Funds raised from the 5K will go toward ensuring that as many children and families as possible can attend these camps at absolutely no cost. 

Pre-registration is $25 ($10 for children 12 and under) and includes a T-shirt. On the day of the event, registration is $30 and starts at 8:30 a.m. The 5K and 1-mile fun run begins in the circle of HealthSouth/Walton Rehabilitation Hospital at 9 a.m., winding through downtown Augusta and ending back at HealthSouth. The event will also feature musical entertainment, healthy food and a mini Run With Art camp with art activities for kids of all ages. To sign up or for more information, visit www.waltonfoundation.net/5K or contact Haley Hamam at 706-826-5809 or [email protected].

The presenting sponsor for the event is HealthSouth/Walton Rehabilitation Hospital. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, call 706-826-5809.