Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – Sept. 16, 2025 – The Jonesboro Human Development Center (JHDC) Volunteer Council is welcoming the community and their pets to the fifth annual Walk-Run-Roll-A-Thon Family and Pet Walk in October at the Jonesboro Human Development Center.
JHDC volunteer coordinator Cynthia Wilson said the purpose of the walk and having it at the JHDC is to raise awareness about the center and people with disabilities.
“I’ve worked here for 29 years now, and you would be amazed at how many people don’t know about the Jonesboro Human Development Center,” Wilson said. “It’s been a part of the Jonesboro community for 50 years, but there are so many people that still are not aware of its presence.”
The approximately one-mile walk will be a pet-friendly event with Northeast Arkansas Humane Society and the Arkansas Pet Savers on site for the event.
“Not only can you bring the kiddos, but you can also bring the pets too and let them be a part,” Wilson said. “It’s been a pretty good success having the puppies here, because not everyone has a puppy, but they still want to participate, and then, when they get here, they get the opportunity to give someone else’s or give one of the puppies that are coming from the Humane Society the opportunity to get their exercise in.”
The walk will be held on Saturday, Oct. 11, with the sign-in at 7 a.m. and the walk starting at 9 a.m. at the intersection of Colony Drive and Stadium Boulevard. The walk concludes at the JHDC park, located at 4701 Colony Drive, with activities, snacks, and entertainment.
Participants can sign up on the day of the event; however, participants who sign up by Sept. 26 will receive an event T-shirt. The registration fee is $30. Extra T-shirts are $30 each or $35 for 2X and above. While some extra shirts will be available at the event, they are not guaranteed.
Wilson said the JHDC is still welcoming more sponsors. The deadline to become a sponsor is Sept. 26.
Sponsorship packages include:
- $500 Gold Sponsor, which gets five T-shirts with a 3.5-inch black and white logo on the back of all shirts.
- $250 Silver Sponsor, which gets three T-shirts with a 2.5-inch black and white logo on the back of all shirts.
- $100 Bronze Sponsor, which gets one T-shirt with a 1.5-inch black and white logo on the back of all shirts.
To participate, volunteer, or become a sponsor; contact Wilson at 870-932-4043 or via email at cynthia.wilson@dhs.arkansas.gov.
According to Wilson, the nonprofit volunteer council is a group of community volunteers that acts as the fundraising entity for the JHDC, which provides long-term living options for adults with intellectual disabilities.
“They are how we make sure that all of the residents, no matter if they have family or not, are able to participate in any event that they’d like to participate in or that they can get the things that they may need or want,” Wilson said.
