FIRST ANNUAL JWJ BDAY 5K & BLOCK PARTY CELEBRATES THE 154TH ANNIVERSARY OF JAMES WELDON JOHNSON’S BIRTH

The very First Annual JWJ BDAY 5K & Block Party presented by VyStar Credit Union and 1st Place Sports celebrates the 154th anniversary of James Weldon Johnson’s birth. Runners and walkers of all ages will begin at James Weldon Johnson Park and travel through the LaVilla neighborhood where the Johnson family lived, with historical information about his life along the route. The race finishes back at the Park with a Block Party featuring various food trucks, games, cake and champagne, and DJ to set the festive mood. All proceeds from this event benefit Friends of James Weldon Johnson Park, the City’s nonprofit partner that manages Jacksonville’s oldest and most historic park.

The run will start and finish at James Weldon Johnson Park, located at 135 West Monroe Street, Jacksonville, Florida. Check-in will begin promptly at 5:30pm and the run will begin at 6:00pm sharp on Saturday, June 14, 2025.

Interested participants can register at tinyurl.com/JWJBDay5k.

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VyStar Credit Union is the second-largest credit union headquartered in Florida, with 79 full-service branches across Florida and Georgia, 1 million members and assets of over $14 billion. VyStar is the top mortgage lender in Northeast Florida and a major employer in the region with over 2,500 employees across the communities it serves. VyStar membership is open to everyone who lives or works in the 49 contiguous counties of Central to North Florida, 29 Georgia counties, and past and present military members and their families all over the world. VyStar members have access to 55,000 surcharge free ATMs worldwide. For more information, visit vystarcu.org, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram,  X (Twitter), and LinkedIn.

ABOUT 1st PLACE SPORTS

1st Place Sports is proud to be recognized as Jacksonville’s running headquarters and one of the top running stores in the nation.

Whether you are looking to purchase a new pair of running shoes, try on the latest running apparel, check out all their running accessories, or enter your next race, give them a try! They have been serving the Northeast Florida running community for over 40 years.

They welcome runners, walkers, and fitness enthusiasts of all abilities to come and experience their one-on-one fit process. This fit process helps you find the perfect shoe to meet the needs of your active lifestyle. Whether you run, walk, go to the gym, or just need a comfortable pair of shoes, 1st Place Sports’ expert staff are here to help find the best fit for you.

ABOUT FRIENDS OF JAMES WELDON JOHNSON PARK

All proceeds from this event benefit Friends of James Weldon Johnson Park, the City’s nonprofit partner for managing Jacksonville’s oldest and most historic park. Friends of James Weldon Johnson Park was formed in 2014 to create a welcoming, urban public space that engages with our history and nurtures a sense of belonging, which connects our diverse communities and resonates throughout Downtown. We envision a contemporary, vibrant, green public space that is the heartbeat of our community, where all people gather for fun, education, and relaxation. Our placemaking success and wide-ranging collaborations provide a variety of unique experiences that are essential to a thriving Downtown creating a sense of civic identity and pride. Visitors today can listen to live music, have a bite to eat from one of our food trucks, play in the kid zone area, or simply find a respite from the Florida heat with flowers, shade, and interesting sculptures. But we are not JUST a park. We’re community builders. The weekend festivals we create highlight Jacksonville’s diversity and have generated passionate feedback such as “Jacksonville needs this!”

Discover more on our James Weldon Johnson Park social feeds.
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