Aria’s Race!
Run…Walk…Smile…Celebrate… Give!
What began as a day to celebrate Aria’s 5th birthday has now become an annual day of joy, community, and giving — all inspired by a little girl who loved to play, explore, and make friends everywhere she went.
Aria’s Race is a chance to come together, celebrate her beautiful spirit, and turn the love she left behind into something meaningful for other children.
A Birthday Celebration That Became Something More
Aria loved birthdays. She loved being surrounded by people, she loved to play, and she could find a reason to be excited about almost anything.
Her 5th birthday should have been filled with all of those things.
So instead of letting the day pass quietly, Daddy wanted to fill it with the things that felt most like Aria — children, friends, dogs, laughter, movement, and joy.
That first celebration became Aria’s Race.
And now, each year, we will come together again — not simply to remember Aria, but to celebrate the way she lived.
Aria’s 1st Annual Memorial 5K Run — Sunday, April 19th, 2026
Run for Aria. Run for Kids.
Aria had an extraordinary ability to make people feel like friends.
She shared her toys. She loved meeting new people. She wanted everyone included. And whether she was at a playground, a petting zoo, traveling somewhere new, or simply “helping” someone around the house, she brought people together.
Aria’s Race carries that spirit forward.
Proceeds from the race support Pepper’s Ranch, helping children and families in Oklahoma’s foster-care community and giving more children opportunities to feel safe, supported, included, and loved.
The first race showed what that love can do: more than 140 donations raised more than $10,000 — and with every dollar matched one-to-one, $20,000 is going straight to Pepper’s Ranch.
Every registration, every donation, and every person who joins us helps turn a celebration of one little girl into something that can brighten the lives of many others.
You Don’t Have to Be a Runner!
This was never meant to be just about running.
Run it. Walk it. Bring your family. Bring your friends. Bring your pets. Come cheer from the sidelines.
What matters is that you come.
Because Aria’s Race is about building the kind of day she would have loved — a day filled with people having fun together while doing something good for someone else.
And we promise, no matter whether you run, walk or twirl — Aria will be there to hold your hands and do the same!
More Than One Day…
The race may happen once a year, but Aria’s legacy continues every day.
Aria’s Safe Haven was created as her lasting legacy — seeded with money Daddy had saved for Aria’s education and built to support children who need the safety, opportunity, and love every child deserves.
Aria’s Race brings our community together.
Aria’s Safe Haven helps make sure the good we do in her name continues far into the future.
Aria’s birthday gift to foster kids
$20,000
to Pepper’s Ranch — race giving plus donation dollars matched, from Aria’s 1st Annual Memorial 5K Run
Last updated: September 26, 2026
Each year, after Aria’s Race, we add what the race gave to this total — so the giving grows right alongside the fund.
Race Day: Coming Soon
We’re planning the first Aria’s Race now — the date, the route, and how to sign up. If you’d like to be the first to know, or to help make it happen, we’d love to hear from you.
Get in touchShe loved big. She still does. She always will!