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Run for Youth Raises Money for At-Risk Teens

By: Kristin Anderson
Updated: April 7, 2012
"We decided to do A 5K walk and run to kind of promote that wellness," said Steven Gressett, member of the Wellness Committee at Hendrick Medical Center.

The Run for Our Youth 5K, hosted by Hendrick's Wellness Program, was meant to get everyone up and active to promote wellness. But the money raised from today's event went towards funding the Transition Center here in Abilene.

"It seemed like a really good place. Our kids are what's important in this community," said Gressett. "They're the ones that are going to be moving up."

The Transition Center will be a year old this June, and was put into place to help at-risk youth because there was a large enough demand for the help.

"We actually do have a large homeless population of youth here in Abilene," said Johnny Nguyen, program director at Abilene Transition Center.
 
The $7500 raised from today's 5K will help fun more programs, and even help build a center for the men in the program. This will help to bring all types of resources to those looking to better their lives into one building.

"In larger metropolitan areas, they're going to receive better resources," asid Nguyen. "Well, we want to bring that resource to them, and create a one-stop-shop Transition Center."

So far, the Abilene Transition Center has been successful, mentoring over 1100 youth in the ten months that it has been open.
 
"It has been an amazing success. God has definitely blessed us with resources and youth," said Nguyen.
 
To help continue the success of the program, Hendrick partnered up with the center to help get the word out. They saw a turn out of about 450 people who wanted to help the youth.

"They're an awesome partner in this community to help us spread the word and it's just an amazing turn out today," said Nguyen.

The Abilene Transition Center helps local youth finish school, get their GED and hunt for jobs. They hope this fund raiser will only help their success rate.

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