 What an Amazing Day at the CleftStrong 5K & Kids 1K - A Home Run for Hope and Awareness! What a beautiful day it was for the CleftStrong 5K & Kids 1K Presented by Christus Children's Hospital! The energy was electric, the smiles were contagious, and the teamwork from every participant, donor, sponsor, and volunteer knocked it out of the park - making the day truly unforgettable. We saw incredible teams of support, awesome baseball uniforms, and so much heart. Together — with generous donors, sponsors, volunteers, and approximately 400 registrants — we raised a little over $13,300 in support of the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association's (ACPA) mission to advance cleft and craniofacial medical research and patient care this year - bringing our grand total contribution to the ACPA more than $187,600.00! Additionally, participants rallied together on the sidelines to raise $900.00 in direct support of patient families in need at two of our cleft and craniofacial teams here in San Antonio - bringing our hometown total to an impressive $9,706.70 over the years. A solid hit for local families! Thank you for always showing partnership and compassion! Christus Children's stepped up to the plate as the 2025 CleftStrong 5k Presenting Sponsor - marking their 8th year in the lineup and bringing their total contribution to an incredible $40,000 to help make this event a home run for the community. This year's event spanned the nation with runners and supporters rounding the bases virtually from Louisiana to New York, North Carolina to Nevada, and beyond - covering 14 states in all! Meanwhile, our hometown team gathered at Eisenhower Park in San Antonio, Texas on Sunday, October 12, 2025, to celebrate together. Thank you to all who joined, near and far, to help us hit another season out of the park - deepening understanding of cleft conditions and celebrating the strength of our shared community.  Just a few CleftStrong 5k Teams, including Virtual Coordinator, Sara Garber and family, pictured above! We’re thrilled to celebrate some standout achievements: 🏆 Highest Fundraising Team: Riley’s Runners 👟 Largest Kids 1K Team: MP Runs 👟 Largest 5K Team: Manny’s Minions 🎭 Best Child Costume: Maddilynn Poncho 🎭 Best Adult Costume: Andrea's League 🥇 Top Male 5K Finisher: Ceasar Garcia at 19:51.5 🥇 Top Female 5K Finisher: Jennifer Marx at 27:30.7 Please click here to view a complete list of all 5k placement winners. Please click here to view a complete list of all Kids 1k placement winners. To all of our finishers — CONGRATULATIONS on crossing the finish line and making a difference! We hope you enjoyed every step of the way. Special Highlights from This Year’s CleftStrong 5K & Kids 1K We were honored to welcome three incredible guests at this year’s event:
 Additionally, it was a very special pleasure to welcome back the Hidden Forest Falcon Singers from Northeast Independent School District for their fifth year presenting a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem. Their voices set a heartfelt and patriotic tone to kick off race day for us. 🎶 We were also honored to have Dr. Nikolas Amini, Board-Certified Orthodontist, ACPA Member, and Orthodontist on the Methodist Children's Hospital Cleft/Craniofacial Team, lead our participants in an energizing pre-race warm-up! Dr. Amini helped get everyone moving and ready to hit the course. 🏃♀️💪  Without a doubt, a huge thank you to our incredible volunteers and sponsors who made this event possible. CleftStrong is a 100% volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit - an all-star team of kind-hearted individuals who step up to the plate year after year. Thanks to their dedication, every dollar raised goes toward the cause. To our one-of-a-kind committee - thank you for all of your extra time and hard work to make this event happen! 2025 CleftStrong 5k Committee Chairs: Sarah Garber - Virtual Race + Social Coordinator Gloria Madera - Emcee Ashley Snyder - Kids Zone and Run Coordinator Brittany Roohan - Awards Coordinator Trish Ryan - Course Marshal Coordinator Stephanie Hernandez - Sign in and Registration Coordinator Analia Rivera - Volunteer Central and Welcome Coordinator Hector Hernandez - Set up and Take Down Coordinator Jeremy and Cecile Montanez- Decorating Coordinators Josh and Christina Rivera - Fundraising Coordinators Looking forward to YEAR 13! 💬 Be sure to SIGN UP to stay tuned for next year’s race details! Happy Holidays! Ray and Chelsea Ortiz @cleftstrong5k | #CleftStrong5K www.cleftstrong5k.com  When our cleft journey began in 2013, we placed our trust in God’s hands. Never did we imagine that His plan would guide us into organizing a race and building such a wonderful community. We are so thankful for the amazing friendships formed along the way. Here’s to another year of strength, hope, and unity. With love, from our family to yours. Stay strong! THANK YOU TO OUR 2025 SPONSORS  If you would like to be a part of next year's event, please contact us here. Did you know that a happy review from an awesome 5ker like you, goes a long way in helping others feel confident joining our race and supporting cleft and craniofacial medical journeys all around? If you have a few seconds, we sure would appreciate your review! Thank you for your support! Find Reliable ACPA Resources for your Cleft Journey Here! Official race photos from our exclusive in kind volunteer photographer, Jay Visuals Media Production, available here! Thanks to Jay Visuals, these photos are now free to download! We truly appreciate your support.
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