Spa Running Festival

Who benefits from the Spa Running Festival?

The Spa Running Festival is run by volunteers from the community so 100% of the proceeds from the event are given to local non-profit organizations. Below are the 5 local, non-profit organizations that have been selected to received donations from the 2024 race proceeds.  2025 non-profit organizations will be announced soon! 

  ♦ Hot Springs Friends of the Park – Friends of the Park is a non-profit organization dedicated to development and stewardship of Hot Springs area public parks. Individual and Corporate partnerships are available for projects identified in the Hot Springs Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan. The master plan is a comprehensive guide for future parks, recreation and open space development.

  ♦ Spa Pacers Buzz Wilson Scholarship Program - Proceeds from the Festival also fund numerous Buzz Wilson scholarships awarded to local high school seniors involved in the sport of running and/or fitness and who exemplify the principles identified in the Spa Pacer's mission statement.       Below is a picture of our 2024 Scholarship recipients! 

 ♦ Humane Society of Garland Cnounty - The HSGC makes a difference in the lives of animals in Hot Springs and throughout Arkansas. Our board, staff, volunteers, and supporters are dedicated to building an environment in which human relationships with animals are guided by compassion. As united animal lovers, we are a truly humane society whose members care about animals and show it. They are located at 1321 Hwy 128, Lonsdale, AR (501) 623-5012

 ♦ The  CALL of Galand and Hot Spring Counties -  The CALL in Garland & Hot Spring Counties exists to recruit, train and support families from the Christian community right here in our own county who will care for children in foster care. Keeping those children locally is a win for everybody. The goal when a child comes into foster care is almost always reunification with the original family. Of course, it’s much easier to make that happen when everyone involved is still in the county. The are located at 312 West St. Louis St., Hot Sprnigs, AR 1-501-772-2522
♦ Literacy Council of the Ouachitas - Established in 1983 as an adult educational nonprofit, the Literacy Council of the Ouachitas offers one-on-one and small group tutoring.  We value literacy as a basic human need. We value respect as a tool for fostering growth, increasing accessibility and collaboration to ensure an inclusive learning environment. Our Vision is to remove barriers and provide support in relentless pursuit of a literate community. Supporting individuals by building multi faceted literacy skills is our Mission. They are located 119 Hobson Ave., Hot Springs, AR 501-624-7323

Below is the press release detailing the donations made to the benefactors from the 2024 Race Proceeds:

Spa Running Festival Gives Back to the Community! 

The Spa Running Festival, presented by Window Mart, is excited to announce the awarding of $42,250 from the 2024 race proceeds! 

The Spa Running Festival marked another successful year on November 16, 2024, achieving a sold-out event! Race Director Cindy Baswell stated that the event sold out three and a half months prior to race day and expressed her excitement that the race's increasing popularity indicates runners are eager to participate and enjoy their time in Hot Springs. The Spa Running Festival drew over 2,000 registered runners from across Arkansas and 32 states to compete in various events, including the 13.1-mile Summit2Summit Half Marathon, the Spa 10k, the 5k, and the Squirt race for children aged 2 to 10.

On April 14th, a reception took place at the Fredrick Dierks Nursing Building at NPC. During the event, checks were presented to representatives from local non-profit organizations and to high school students receiving scholarships. The 2024 race's donation program allocated a total of $42,250 and the four local non-profit organizations included were: 

·       $7,000 awarded to Hot Springs of Friends of the Parks. Friends, formed in 1994, is made up of volunteers from the community working to increase or preserve our parks, greenways, trails, bicycle routes, wetlands, and recreational activities in both the city of Hot Springs and Garland County.   

·       $6,000 awarded to Ouachita Children, Youth and Family Services. OCYFS serves our most vulnerable population, Children and Youth throughout Arkansas providing advocacy, safety and skill building activities that empower them to build lifelong success. They also provide a safe, secure emergency shelter and advocacy program for victims of domestic violence and their children through their Ouachita Family Center. 

·       $6,000 awarded to Path Project, a program of Ouachita Behavioral and Wellness.  Path Project helps in transiting the under-served and under-resourced individuals from homelessness, through Community Outreach Diagnostic Screening and Therapeutic Treatment, Case management services and Referrals for substance abuse, primary healthcare, job training, educational opportunities, and housing.

·       $6,000 was awarded to the Project Hope Food Bank – Project Hope is dedicated to serving Central Arkansas by providing access to nutritious foods for seniors, children, and families in need. Established in 2009 by Ted Thompson, the Food Bank serves agencies in seven Arkansas Counties: Garland, Hot Spring, Montgomery, Pike, Pulaski, Saline, and Union.  Their programs are aimed at promoting health and well-being by increasing access to nutritious foods for those facing food insecurity. Through collaboration with various nonprofit organizations, including food pantries, shelters, schools, and community programs, they strive to address the root causes of hunger and support vulnerable populations across our region.

In addition, the Arkansas Spa Pacers Buzz Wilson Scholarship Program received $13,000. This program grants scholarships to high school seniors active in running or fitness who demonstrate the values outlined in the Spa Pacers' mission statement. Applicants submit a formal online application and a letter of recommendation, which the Scholarship Committee, chaired by Lorri Saracini, then reviews. The scholarship recipients and school represented are:

·     Chris Chancellor, Lake Hamilton 

·     Audrey Herrell, Lake Hamilton 

·     Lani Inman, Lake Hamilton

·     Adam Luhasz, Lake Hamilton 

·     Brisonn Johnson, Jessieville 

·     William Lewis, Lakeside 

·     Chay Menzies, Lake Hamilton 

·     Morgan Paul, Lakeside 

·     Darian Rhodes, Lakeside 

·     Annabel Sarver, Lakeside 

·     Henry Simmons, Hot Springs

·     Breanna Townley, Lakeside 

·     Zander Woodward, Lakeside 

Furthermore, in recognition of their support and partnership in ensuring a safe and successful race day, $2,000 was donated to the Hot Springs Police Department. 

Finally, the Spa Running Festival recognized the top three running teams with the highest number of members by awarding them prize money to donate to a local non-profit organization of their choice, in the team's name. The race featured 33 teams comprising a total of 461 registrations. The top three teams and their selected non-profit beneficiaries are listed below:

   1st Place Team $1,000 - Spa Pacers Running Club (81 team members); the non-profit organization selected was Special Olympics.

    2nd Place Team $750 – 501 Fitness (56 team members); the non-profit organization selected was Sunshine Therapeutic Riding Center.

    3rd Place Team $500 – Run for God (54 team members); the non-profit organization selected was Christian Ministries Memorial Playground Fund - CMA PTO. 

Baswell has been involved in the race since 2009 and Race Director for the past 12 years. Since that time, she said, “We have awarded $447,000 to local, non-profit organizations and the scholarship program.  We are so proud that we can give back to the community and allow these amazing organizations to continue their work in helping others in the many different needs and capacities they serve.  They are a true blessing to our community!” 

This year’s Spa Running Festival is scheduled for Saturday, November 15th, 2025.  Online registration opened April 1st and according to Baswell, “registrations are up 72% compared to this time last year, so she predicts the race will sell out again this year and is encouraging everyone that’s going to run in the race to register early at sparunningfest.com because spots are going fast.”

For more information, contact Cindy Baswell, Race Director at (501) 276-8870 or via email cindy@spa10k.com.