‘Freed To Run’ Events Raise Money For Legal Aid

FREED TO RUN TEAMS gathered in front of the Baker County Courthouse for the last of six consecutive marathons through which Jacksonville attorney Mike Freed of Gunster and 19 teams of runners raised nearly $300,000 for Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA) and the Northeast Florida Medical Legal Partnership (NFMLP). The first marathon started December 2 from the Supreme Court in Tallahassee, and each one ended and began at a courthouse along the route. The funds raised through Freed to Run will go toward an endowment for the NFMLP that will enable JALA to continue to provide legal aid to pediatric patients and their families in partnership with Northeast Florida health-care institutions including Baptist Health, which is matching all donations to the endowment at 125 percent. Freed ran all six marathons, while each relay team ran alongside him for a single marathon and others participated in a 5k. Donations can still be made at www.jaxlegalaid.org/freedtorundonate.