The Wascally Wabbit mascot joined in the fun at the first official Wascally Wabbit Half Mawothon in 2012. Founder Brad Castillo said he founded the race because he wanted to help former foster kids go to college.
For a foster child, the thought of turning 18 years old can be scary.
As the dawn of adulthood approaches, most foster children are not ready to make their way into the world on their own””but, often times, that doesn’t matter.
At what is considered the legal age of maturity, most foster children are forced to leave the foster care system with nowhere to go and no one to help them.
That’s why Brad Castillo, CEO of Kids Kasa Foster Care, Inc., founded the Wascally Wabbit Half Mawothon. The annual half-marathon event raises money for local foster care children who are turning 18 and want to attend college.
“Just because a child turns 18 and is legally considered an adult doesn’t mean they still don’t need help, so that’s why I founded this race,” Castillo said. “Technically, we don’t have any need to support them or help them. But because they’re former foster kids and they came through our agency, we feel it’s important to continue to help them””especially if they’re striving to do good for themselves.”
The event, which will take place on Saturday, will begin at the Shinzen Japanese Garden in Woodward Park at 7 a.m. Runners can register for the event, which is open to the public, up until 6:45 a.m. on the day of the race.
Participants can sign up for one of three events: the individual half marathon, a half-marathon relay race or a 2-mile walk and run.
All of the proceeds generated by the event will be donated to the Kids Kasa Educational Fund.
The money, Castillo said, is dispersed to former foster care children whenever they need it, whether it is for food, tuition or bills.
“We send them money just like we were their parents, because the kids that we help””their parents don’t have the means to send them money or help them out,” Castillo said.
“Even though we’re not family, they know that there’s somebody here that they can call on if they need help.”
So far, the event has helped three former foster children attend college. Lizbeth Huerta, who now attends California State University, East Bay, is one of them.
Huerta, who joined Kids Kasa Foster Care at age 16, said she had a “really good experience” with the agency.
“I definitely did not expect them to support me once I left the system,” Huerta said. “I’m so thankful that they’ve kept in contact with me. Even now, Brad reaches out to help me if I need anything, and I’m not even in the system anymore.”
Huerta, a 21-year-old political science major, said the agency has given her money for rent, groceries and other bills.
“The most recent thing that they helped me with was financing my car,” she said. “That was really helpful.”
Huerta said the agency acted as her support system throughout her college experience.
“Sometimes I ask Brad for advice on other things that you would normally ask your parents or your guardian, because I don’t have that in my life,” Huerta said.
Huerta, who plans on graduating in the spring, said she will participate in the event on Saturday for the first time.
“I’m excited,” Huerta said. “I’ve never actually seen it, and I know it’s one of the biggest fundraisers that they have, so that’s really cool.”
“The Wascally,” as Castillo calls it, began as an informal race in 2007 before it developed into the official event it is today.
“It started off with a bunch of friends,” Castillo said. “We used to run from my house, around Woodward Park, down towards Clovis and then back. One day, we just decided to make an event out of it.”
Castillo said his friends enjoyed the event so much that it continued to grow every year. In 2012, he made the race official.
Castillo said he would encourage Fresno State students to participate in the race or volunteer at the event to get involved with the local community.
“This would be something really good for students at Fresno State to see what goes on around their community,” he said. “If there are any former foster kids going to Fresno State, they should be interested in attending the event.”
This year, Castillo said he expects about 800 people to attend the event. Last year, “The Wascally” garnered 481 runners.
After the event is over, Castillo said runners can enjoy a free massage, breakfast and water.
Each runner will also receive a shirt and medal for participating in the race. Runners who place first or second in the half marathon will receive a watch donated by Rogers Jewelers.
For more information, visit www.thewascally.com.