Let the FIRST EVER CleftStrong 5k Raffle Presale BEGIN where you need not be present to win! We send a great BIG thanks to our amazing sponsors who made this fabulous drawing possible! We also send a huge shout out to the #CleftStrong committee who volunteered their time to put it all together and make it happen just as wonderful as THIS! You all rock with helping hearts 💜
One of the very best things of all is that all proceeds will be directed to the wonderful hearts at the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA) who give it their best to advance patient care and research for individuals on the cleft and craniofacial journey. How very far we have come because of their passionate dedication!

Visit us on Facebook to join the fun in spreading awareness and your name will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a free race entry to the 5th annual CleftStrong 5k complete with all the CleftStrong 5k goodies that come with your entry! 

​*all race options are included for this drawing: General 5k Entry, Kid Fun Run Entry, and all Virtual Race options

That's right!  1IN700 will be making it's way to San Antonio, Texas to be a part of our special 5th anniversary CleftStrong 5k being held on October 13, 2018 at Los Patios!  Founder, Zack Rodetis-Urenda will get to share with us on the continuation of his inspiring project that has now reached 3 continents, captured around 400 individuals who are cleft affected, and shared a special unity with countless family members on the journey.  Additionally, he will take photos of this year's participating cleft heroes wishing to be a part of this powerful 1IN700 worldwide movement project.. a project that started with its founder's heartfelt goal of "creating a timeless piece of education of 700 faces who never let this hold them back".  
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CleftStrong founders Ray and Chelsea Ortiz are more than happy to not only welcome the 1IN700 project back to town, but to give a good friend a hug and let him know how much his work means to their family, personally.  "I think we'd all hope to be born possessing the perfect resilience for every type of adversity we face in life and to handle each challenge with perfection, but it's safe to say that we just weren't created that way" says Chelsea.  "I've come to learn that it's through adversity that we can all learn and grow from one another, that life changing challenge often times requires us to make that one vital choice to fight and become stronger because of it, and best of all that it is with great purpose.  Isn't it amazing when you find yourself in this sort of moment in life and that one special person gifted with the ability to relate, connect, and support comes crossing your path to do just that.  Zack is one of those people to so many. Thank you for taking the challenges and victories of this new growing experience to shine a light for the whole world to see.. those who are cleft affected and those who are not.  We can't wait to see you!"

Click here for a recent Facebook message from Zack on the 1IN700 project: 

We owe many thanks for the fun and successful 4th annual CleftStrong 5k held on October 15, 2017 at Mission County Park.   Despite the chance of thunderstorms, around 550 people gathered in support of cleft and craniofacial conditions on this amazing morning. A community of participants and volunteers came together with corporate sponsors, personal donors, and virtual racers across the world, including our first ever international virtual racer from Indonesia, Prasetyanugraheni Kreshanti, and raised $27,300.00 in support of ACPA Family Services' mission to serve and support not only the patients who are personally affected, but just as importantly, their support systems too.    

ACPA Family Services (formerly known as the Cleft Palate Foundation) merged with the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA) in June, 2017.  With this merge, professionals and families work more closely together to better achieve the ACPA Family Services' mission: to optimize outcomes for individuals with oral cleft and craniofacial conditions through education, support, research, advocacy and interdisciplinary team care.  All funds generated from the 4th annual CleftStrong 5k  support advancing patient care through important cleft-craniofacial medical research as well as education, resources and opportunities for patients born with cleft and other craniofacial conditions, their families and the professionals who serve them.  

The 4th annual CleftStrong 5k brought new and exciting highlights! For a second year, The Children's Hospital of San Antonio was the presenting sponsor of the CleftStrong 5k. We had the absolute honor of welcoming president of the hospital, Mr. Elias Neujahr to share a message as the morning started. We remain forever grateful for the remarkable support CleftStrong has received from doctors and health care professionals throughout the community and beyond that has helped make this event what it is today. When asked the question, "What was your favorite part of the CleftStrong 5k?", many of our cleftstrong warriors and families simply replied, "getting to share the morning with my cleft team". Thank you for your partnership on this journey - inside and outside of the medical setting.

The one and only Dr. Roy Gonzalez, Jr. with part of the Methodist Children's Hospital Craniofacial Team including the adorable 4 legged team member, ROSCOE!  He is the Methodist Children Hospital's service dog who entertains and helps to cheer patients at the cleft clinics each month. We were thrilled he joined us this year!  Dr. Gonzalez Jr.'s excitement for the CleftStrong mission has been a special driving force throughout the years.  

The CleftStrong 5k welcomed back a very special guest along with a few more this year.  Mr. Zack Rodetis-Urenda shared on his recent travels overseas with this year's participants and spent some of the morning photographing participants to be included in his worldwide fine art photography project, 1IN700.  CleftStrong also welcomed Mrs. Lacey Buchanan, author of Through the Eyes of Hope, her family, and Mr. Angel Castorena, founder of San Antonio's Rockula Expo to share on their personal cleft journeys with this year's participants.   

The Spurs Coyote started the race off with a BANG once again this year! CleftStrong warriors were found along the entire route. We send our congratulations to all of the 2017 CleftStrong 5k race winners this year. Mr. Brandon Hernandez finished as the Top Overall Male Finisher, coming in at 20:27 and Ms. Michaela Goodgame finished as the Top Overall Female Finisher, coming in at 25:53. For a complete list of all age category winners, click here. We had several fun awards given out this year. Congratulations to our Best Adult Storybook Character Costume: Carol Mantle, dressed as the Chicka Chicka Boom Boom book and our Best Child Storybook Character Costume: Yusuf Mehdawi. Team Amaris came in as our largest team this year. All were dressed perfectly with the sweetest shirts! Kate de la Garza was awarded for creating this year's top fundraising team. All together, The Fast and the Ruthieness raised $2,925.00 in support of other cleft journeys!

Youth participants also spent some of their morning making care cards for children who will be undergoing their first cleft lip or palate surgery this year. They did an amazing job and watching them support others from the heart was the best. We also enjoyed awarding our top 9 and under finishers for the first time this year. Winning a race is always exciting, but winning a race in support of your peers.. now that's pretty amazing. We hope it touched your hearts as much as it did ours.

We send a warm thank you to the CleftStrong 5k Committee, all community supporters, participants, corporate sponsors, and donors for making the 4th annual CleftStrong 5k a fun and successful morning of community togetherness and meaningful support.  If you would like to be a part of next year's event, please contact us here!
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Ray and Chelsea Ortiz
CleftStrong Co-Founders 

Check out the 2017 CleftStrong 5k Photo Gallery

Thank you to the 2017 CleftStrong 5k Sponsors:  The Children's Hospital of San Antonio, Makeup Junkie Bags, MSC Earthwork, Ortiz & Batis, San Antonio Claims Association, Premiere Autoplex, Dr. Roy Gonzalez, Jr., Rockula, Methodist Children's Hospital, Diamond Automotive Group, Debbie Stolle Interiors, Dent, Jadestone Real Estate, Fat Joe's Jerky, US Legal Support, MTF Biologics, Lindow, Stephens & Treat, LLP 

Santikos Entertainment⎮La Hacienda ⎮ Embassy Suites ⎮ Stars and Stripes Drive In ⎮ Photography by Vidal Diaz ⎮Amy's Ice Cream ⎮Tim Strong ⎮San Antonio Zoo ⎮Blend Record Retrieval ⎮Bike World ⎮Kendra Scott ⎮Painting with a Twist⎮Dermatology Associates of San Antonio⎮Inspired by Colton ⎮San Antonio Museum of Art ⎮Schlitterbahn Waterpark and Resorts ⎮Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch ⎮1IN700/Little Weaving Willow⎮ Top Golf ⎮Bowlero ⎮Embassy Suites ⎮Main Event⎮Bagel Factory ⎮Alterman 

Early Packet Pick Up:
We strongly encourage all those who have pre-registered online to pick up their race packets in advance to avoid race day sign in lines.  Please bring your confirmation email and/or registration ID  number to early packet pick up. If you plan to pick up a packet for someone else, please have a copy of their confirmation email and/or registration ID with you.  We will also be taking last minute registrations in person at packet pick up!

Place: Bike World, 15675 San Pedro Ave, San Antonio, TX 78232
Driving Directions 
Date/Time: Saturday, October 14, 2017, 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. CST 
*Extra: Bike World is giving all CleftStrong 5k participants 10% off any purchases (excluding bikes, labor, sale items and special orders) that are made during the hours of early packet pick up.  Perfect for your lucky pair of race day socks!

Race Morning Schedule:
7:30 a.m.: Gates Open 
(Last minute Registration & Packet Pick Up for Pre-Registered Racers Open) 
8:10 a.m.: Opening Ceremony and National Anthem
9:10 a.m.: Race Begins
​10:30 a.m.: Closing Ceremony
11:30 a.m.:  Approximate End Time

Print a Race Day Program Here!

Race Location:
Mission County Park
6030 Padre Drive,
San Antonio, TX 78214
​Driving Directions

Parking:
Free parking on site.  Once you have turned into the park entrance, follow the street until you find a large grassy area and volunteers directing parking.

Extras:
Guardian Event Storage will be located near the registration/packet pick up area on race morning to secure belongings during the event!  This is perfect for items such as merchandise purchased, keys, bags, cel phones, etc.  You may set this service up on race morning or you may reserve your storage now right here!

Raffle sales will take place from 7:30 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.!   
 $5.00 each -or- 5 for $20 Cash Check or Charge

It is with great excitement CleftStrong announces its first ever exclusive jeweler for the CleftStrong annual 5k: fellow cleft strong and proud mom, Founder of Cleft Connect, and Designer/Owner of Inspired by Colton Jewelry for a Cause, Melinda Bly.  Melinda has designed and donated several pieces of jewelry for the upcoming event, two of which will be awarded to our overall male and female finishers after the race!  "Finishing every charity run is unique in its own special way, and this year we will have the absolute pleasure of awarding our cleft supportive top male and female finishers with a design from one of our very own in the amazing cleft community" says race organizer, Chelsea Ortiz. "Imagine designing and preparing handmade and heartfelt donations while also preparing for hurricane Irma to make direct landfall in your state.  Now you have just a glimpse into this special lady's heart."  

CleftStrong is grateful for all of the support it has received to date and is hard at work preparing for October 15th!     
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We are just 2 weeks and 4 days away from our deadline to receive a customized race day bib with your registration!  Go ahead....

A word from Melinda:
Spread the word for the month of September! My ETSY store is offering 15% off all cleft related product to celebrate cleft & craniofacial awareness month!  
​All sales go to a special project I started with a fellow cleft mom Lisa Wyzlic. Every month, we send out cleft mom packages. Everything we are doing is being supported by our small business companies we run. So far we have sent out 10 packages filled with love and support for the moms. 
Visit:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/InspiredByColton

Zack Rodetis-Urenda, author and creator of the worldwide fine art photography project that is capturing the cleft community one special click at a time, will be returning to the annual CleftStrong 5k benefiting those born with cleft and craniofacial conditions on October 15, 2017.  His goal is simple and powerful: capture 700 individuals who are affected by cleft conditions to create a fine art photography book with the hope of educating present and future societies as well as the current and incoming cleft community.  As he puts it, "A difference in journey is an opportunity to learn, empathize and grow together."  At CleftStrong, we believe that this project will break barriers of many kind including some of those that are built based on the unknown. We believe it will clear uncertainties and shake discomfort, just as Zack hopes.  We send you a special invitation to join us this fall to be a part of it all!    

Zack shares, "I am so excited to be a part of the CleftStrong 5k again! I have a lot of new things in the works that I cannot wait to share with everyone and I look forward to photographing those I missed the first time around!"  Zack is set to speak during opening ceremony at the 4th annual CleftStrong 5k.  He will share on the growth of this inspiring project and some of the wonderful memories from his travels overseas!  Join us in welcoming 1IN700 back to Texas this year as we race for cleft and craniofacial conditions along the San Antonio River Mission Reach area!

Until then, connect with Zack and the 1IN700 project on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!   

We are more than excited to welcome Lacey Buchanan and her sweet family as honorary guests of the CleftStrong 5k this year!  Lacey and her husband, Chris know all too well the challenges of raising a child with the special needs that accompany craniofacial conditions.  Their first son, Christian was born blind with Tessier cleft lip and palate, classifications 3, 4 and 5, a condition so rare that it is reported as one of only fifty known cases in the world.  Christian's condition was caused by amniotic band syndrome where fibrous bands in the womb attached to his face and restricted blood flow during fetal development.  You have probably seen Lacey's powerful video that went viral several years ago which introduced the world to their heartfelt journey one notecard at a time.  This one video shook the world, but it would soon prove to be just the beginning.  

Lacey released her book, Through the Eyes of Hope in January, 2017 and she has spent the past few years traveling the country, touching lives with one truly inspiring message of relentless faith, prayer, and hope. She dedicates this book to "every parent of a child with special needs who has ever felt burned out, run-down, stretched too thin, overwhelmed, or ill equipped and she sends one sweet message of hope:  God has called you, and He will equip you.  Your circumstances don't define you, nor do they define the God we serve.  His truths are still truth, and He will make good on His promises".  

Join us on October 15th and help us give a BIG Texas welcome to her amazing family.  They will be traveling from their hometown in Tennessee and we are honored to welcome them to their first visit to San Antonio, Texas.  It will be a morning you won't want to miss as Lacey speaks about their incredible journey!  Lacey shares, "I am so excited to be attending the CleftStrong 5k in San Antonio this fall!  As a family affected by a craniofacial difference including a cleft, supporting organizations like the Cleft Palate Foundation is so important to us!"  She also says running is a passion of hers and that getting to run while supporting the Cleft Palate Foundation is a win/win! If you'd like to follow her now until then, and don't already, make sure to find her on Facebook @LaceyandChristianBuchanan!  Christian is now in kindergarten learning to read braille and just earned his yellow belt in karate!  

For those who have not read Through the Eyes of Hope, Lacey will have copies on sale this special morning.  For those who can't wait that long, you can purchase yours now at AmazonSmile!  This book is eligible for donation to the Cleft Palate Foundation. Simply select to support the Cleft Palate Foundation and a portion of your purchase will support its mission to serve individuals and families affected by cleft lip/palate and other craniofacial conditions.   

Mark you calendars with love:  The 4th annual CleftStrong 5k will start and finish at the Mission County Park, just south of downtown San Antonio, Tx on October 15, 2017 at 9 a.m.!  This year, the course will take participants along the Mission Reach trails of the San Antonio River and that makes for one natural, scenic, and historic route to enjoy.  The event is scheduled to finish a little before the lunch hour, so pack a picnic and make a day of it! The Mission Reach, in its 13 miles of the SA River, connects 4 of the 5 Spanish colonial missions to the San Antonio River which have been recently designated as a World Heritage Site.    

WHAT ELSE IS NEW THIS YEAR?
• New year = New theme: Every smile holds a story. Every story holds a smile. Dress as your
favorite story book character and share your smile! We will be awarding the participant with the
best costume after the race.

• Don't miss the FREE 9 and Under option where up to 2 children (9 and Under) are free
per one paid adult this year. (All children must be accompanied by an adult, and all children
attending must be registered.)

• Now, family, friends, and others who can't participate in the 5k can join your efforts in supporting the cause while supporting their favorite CleftStrong 5k participant by making a donation under your team. No donation is too small or big and 100% will be directly donated to the Cleft Palate Foundation to help provide excellent education, resources, and opportunities to the cleft community. Create your fundraising team here: https://www.raceentry.com/races/cleftstrong-5k/2017/fundraising/charity/charity/would-you-like-to-make-a-donation-241. We will award the team with the highest donation amount after the race!

• This year we will be awarding the largest team that participates!

• Not only is this a runner, walker, stroller, wheel chair and family friendly course - but it is also dog
friendly! The trails welcome all leashed dogs that pick up after themselves... or those with owners
​ who will do the work for them :)