A big part of healthy living is having access to the right food items that help children grow and thrive. The human body cannot make calcium, so the dairy foods that children eat and drink every day are important to their growth and development. The nine essential nutrients from dairy foods like milk are especially important during early childhood and adolescence when kids experience the most rapid growth. Unfortunately, milk is not as affordable as sugar-sweetened beverages for low-income families.

Help us provide nutritious milk to young families in need by participating in the first-annual Milk Run, a 5K or 1-mile fun run/walk starting at Dan and Debbie’s Creamery in Ely, Iowa. Your registration for this event provides YPN families with wholesome farm-fresh milk from Dan and Debbie’s Creamery. Register online at http://getmeregistered.com/TheMilkRun

The Milk Runs begins at the Creamery and heads south on the new Cedar Valley Nature Trail to the Linn County/Johnson County line, then finishes back at the Creamery. As 5K runners approach the halfway turn-around point, they will run right alongside our young heifer Holstein cows, or as we like to call them, the future of Dan and Debbie’s Creamery! The entire route is on the paved trail with only 2 street crossings. It’s a great route on a brand new trail!

As runners cross the finish line, they will be greeted with a pint of ice cold Dan and Debbie’s whole chocolate milk to refuel their bodies.

YPN is a Cedar Rapids non-profit founded in 1985 offering families support-focused programs to promote self-sufficiency and healthy living. One adult registration will provide 4 half-gallons of our farm-fresh milk to YPN families, and one child registration will provide 2 half-gallons. YPN’s incentive-based programs reward parents for healthy behavior. Families will have access to this donated milk by attending YPN Bright Futures group meetings.

Learn more about YPN (Young Parents Network) on their website: https://www.ypniowa.org/

Route Maps

Event Map