Hundreds join Syracuse 5K fundraiser for child abuse support

Hundreds of runners, walkers, parents, volunteers and spectators turned Middle Ages Brewing Company in Syracuse’s Near Westside into a community fundraiser Sunday, April 26, as the 10th annual Step Up 4 Kids 5K and Kids Fun Run raised money for children and families affected by abuse in Onondaga County.

The event marked the close of McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center’s month-long Go Blue 4 Kids campaign during National Child Abuse Prevention Month. What started years ago as a small gathering at Onondaga Lake Parkway has grown into a spring race that McMahon Ryan says now draws more than 400 participants each year, with a course that includes Barker Park and Leavenworth Park before the post-race celebration at Middle Ages. A Kids Fun Run let younger children take part, and the day ended with live music and food trucks.

For McMahon Ryan, the money matters because the need is not symbolic. The center describes itself as Onondaga County’s first and only child advocacy center and says it serves more than 1,000 children each year. Its services include forensic investigations, advocacy, and medical and mental health assistance for more than 1,000 victims of child abuse and human trafficking annually, all in one child-friendly setting where partner agencies work together. The center says children are interviewed only once when possible by specially trained forensic interviewers, a safeguard meant to reduce retraumatization while cases move forward.

The fundraiser also supports the less visible work that keeps abuse from escalating in the first place. McMahon Ryan’s outreach and education team visits schools across Onondaga County, and the organization’s sponsor packet says that team reached more than 26,000 students in 2024 even while understaffed. The same materials say school demand continues to grow, and that additional educators could expand the center’s reach to thousands more children each year.

That local pressure sits inside a broader state effort. The New York State Office of Children and Family Services marks April as Child Abuse Prevention Month and ties the observance to child and family well-being. Blue pinwheels, introduced by Prevent Child Abuse America in 2007, remain the national symbol of that work, a reminder that prevention depends on year-round support, not just a single race day.

At Middle Ages, the turnout showed that Onondaga County still rallies around the cause. The harder question is whether the fundraising, outreach and staffing behind McMahon Ryan can keep pace with the number of children who need help.