The St. Joseph Conference, Carpinteria, of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP), a nonprofit organization that helps those living in poverty, in concert with 26 conferences from all of Santa Barbara and Ventura County, will host the 5th Annual Friends of the Poor 5K Charity Walk/Run on Saturday, Sept. 21, to benefit those in need in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.
Honorary Host Roy Lee, Santa Barbara County First District Supervisor, will join with other walkers for an easy walk on level terrain through downtown Carpinteria to the State Beach and return to St. Joseph Field for family-friendly festivities.
Registration begins at 8 a.m. at St Joseph Catholic Church Field, and the first walker is at 9. The event is free to all walkers, and each registered walker will receive a free T-shirt, while supplies last.
All proceeds and donations from the charity event will directly benefit the needy, the disadvantaged, and the poor individuals and families living in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. All levels of walkers are welcome, and volunteers are needed. To learn more, to register, or to make a donation, visit https://events.idonate.com/fopwalk-2. Participants also can register or donate with the Conference of their choice on the TEAM page of the website. Late registrations are welcome on event day, Sept. 21, at 1532 Linden Ave.
Launched in 2008, The Friends of the Poor Charity Walk/Run is a nationwide event held during September and sponsored in each local community by the St. Vincent de Paul Conference in that area. Nationally, the 2023 Friends of the Poor Walk generated more than $32 million, and all funds donated remained in the local community for the benefit of the disadvantaged and poor in those communities. This is the fifth year the two-county charity event has been sponsored by St. Joseph Conference in Carpinteria.
