In 2010, in the weeks following the passing of high school scholar and athlete Chelsea King, a handful of members of the San Diego running community were so affected by her loss that they asked some of their friends to meet one Saturday to finish the run Chelsea started on February 25 in Rancho Bernardo Community Park.

Chelsea's life was cut short by the heinous act of a known sexual predator while in the midst of her training run that day in the park. Word quickly spread and on the morning of March 20, 2010 more than 3,500 community members joined together to run and walk in solidarity with, and in honor of Chelsea, who they adopted as one of their own.

The original grassroots "Finish Chelsea's Run" was such a moving and healing experience for the community that Kelly and Brent King decided to make it an official, annual tradition in San Diego hosted by the Chelsea's Light Foundation, the organization they founded to make positive change for children.

This annual run/walk is now the primary fundraiser for the Chelsea's Light Foundation Sunflower Scholarship Fund, providing scholarships for San Diego County college-bound teens who have embraced characteristics that embodied Chelsea's academic prowess and service-over-self ethic.

We have joined forces with Girl Scouts San Diego, an organization that shares our values and has a long history of creating youth leaders. This partnership strengthens our common vision of recognizing and supporting young people who will make the world a better place. By combining forces, we anticipate growing the run/walk, leading to an even greater ability to protect children and provide scholarships for youth.