Bringing youth awareness to the community, Placer County Youth Commission (PCYC) hosted their annual Free Your Mind, Free the Air 5K awareness run on Saturday morning, April 27, 2024. With over 150 participants consisting of friends and family all over Placer County, the run was a huge success. Many Rocklin High School (RHS) students had the opportunity to help out at the run as student volunteers, with roles of setting up, cleaning up, and directing the run. 

RHS student Penelope Blythe says, “The [PCYC 5K Awareness Run] was originally just for a CSF (California Scholarship Foundation) project, but I told my dad about it and we thought it would be fun to do it together.”

This annual 5K awareness campaign serves the purpose to bring public awareness to youth tobacco and substance abuse. For run lovers, friends, and family, this event is a wonderful way to get active while bringing awareness to a greater cause. 

To tackle the uprising issue of tobacco use, Placer County Youth Commission says, “The mission of our run is to promote a healthy body and a healthy mind. Running and walking are great coping skills to help reduce stress and combat nicotine cravings. Plus, it frees the air of secondhand vape and smoke. We hope you can join us in this 5k run to reduce nicotine use and increase mental health awareness.”