Across America, Families Are Reclaiming Joy and Community This Thanksgiving Through the Black Family 5K
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Takara Pierce
takara@blackalderllc.com
Carrying forward the legacy of Black women who have long walked for change, GirlTREK — the largest public health and wellness organization of its kind — calls on families and chosen families across America to join the 2025 Black Family 5K.
November 2025 — GirlTREK, the largest public health and wellness organization rooted in the legacy of Black women who walk for change, invites families and chosen families across the United States to join the 2025 Black Family 5K. Taking place Thanksgiving weekend, November 27 through November 30, the Black Family 5K transforms neighborhoods nationwide into spaces for connection, remembrance, and renewal.
“The Black Family 5K is about more than walking,” said Vanessa Garrison, co-founder and co-executive director of GirlTREK. “It is about reclaiming health, joy, and community at a time when so many of us are feeling the heaviness of these times. It is a way for us to choose connection over isolation, care over consumption, and togetherness over the noise. Every step we take together is a declaration that our well-being still matters.”
The Black Family 5K is simple: families and friends across the country take a walk together during Thanksgiving weekend with no central gathering or entry fee. Each family chooses its own route, sets its own pace, and participates in a shared tradition rooted in love, reflection, and joy.
A Walk for Everyone
The Black Family 5K welcomes all kinds of families and communities, from church groups and coworkers to neighbors and chosen kin. Some families walk right after Thanksgiving dinner, while others step out on Friday as a joyful alternative to Black Friday shopping.
The official Black Family 5K Toolkit offers guidance on planning your route, making the walk accessible for elders and children, and keeping everyone hydrated and safe. “This is an event designed for everyone, from babies to great-grandparents,” said Garrison. “It reminds us that community health begins with togetherness.”
How to Join
Families are encouraged to sign up at BlackFamily5K.com to receive updates, planning tools, and access to the 2025 Black Family 5K Toolkit. Participants can also:
Download the new Black Family 5K App (BETA) to track miles, earn badges, and celebrate progress
After registration, you’ll receive an email with download instructions. Log in using your registration email to start tracking your walk.
Listen to the curated Black Family 5K Playlist or the award-winning Black History Bootcamp podcast while walking
Use the official Instagram filter and tag posts with #BlackFamily5K and @GirlTREK to be featured
Building Joy and Legacy
The 2025 Black Family 5K Toolkit includes creative ways to make the walk meaningful, from honoring ancestors to celebrating the first elder to cross the finish line. Families are encouraged to share stories, capture photos, and cheer for one another at every step.
“The Black Family 5K is not about speed or competition,” said Garrison. “It is about connection. It is about walking, talking, laughing, remembering, and imagining what health and joy can look like together.”
Now in its fifth year, the Black Family 5K continues GirlTREK’s mission to inspire one million Black women to walk daily in the name of healing and liberation. Each Thanksgiving weekend, this growing tradition becomes a nationwide reminder that the best kind of legacy is love in motion.
This is not just a campaign. It is a movement of wellness, solidarity, and possibility.
For interviews, photos, or more information, contact Takara Pierce at takara@blackalderllc.com.