Hand in hand in NoHo

If you support healthy after-school activities for kids—and who doesn’t?—lace up your walking shoes and head to the 11th Annual Hopewalk on Saturday to benefit the North Hollywood-based Hands for Hope program.

The 5K Hopewalk, in support of Hands for Hope’s free after-school programs, starts at 9 a.m. from the southwest corner of Magnolia and Tujunga and ends in North Hollywood Park. You can register for the walk for a $20 donation.

At 11 a.m., the organization also will host a “Kids’ Healthy Activity Fair,” where youngsters participate in 20 different activity stations including basketball, soccer and running an obstacle course. They get tickets for completing the activities, which they can then use for toy prizes (just like at a video arcade, but healthier.) There will also be healthy food sampling from NoHo eateries.

Hands for Hope was founded in 2001 to address “latchkey kid” issues for low-income children aged 8-21. Its after-school programs focus on four areas: academic assistance (tutoring, help with homework), life skills (career and college planning), arts (music, theatre and dance), and health and fitness, which is the focus of this fundraiser. In addition to after-school programs, Hands for Hope also provides information and resources to single parents.

This event is sponsored in part by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and local businesses. If you go, plan your trip with Metro.

Posted 6/8/11