KYCC Prevention Education hosted their Dia de los Muertos 5K walk and run on November 6, 2022. Día de los Muertos is a holiday in many Latin American countries that commemorates loved ones who have passed. For the event, an altar was created for loved ones who have been lost to substance use. 

Over 300 members of the Westlake community and surrounding neighborhoods participated in the event. The run promoted a healthy lifestyle and showed community pride for MacArthur Park. The Dia de Los Muertos 5K highlights the importance of active families, community pride, healthy living, and substance-free lifestyles. 

Volunteers of diverse ages supported the event, including the MacArthur Park Community Initiatives (MPCI) Youth Coalition Interns. MYPARC Interns practiced their public speaking skills as they collected petition signatures to support a smoke-free MacArthur Park. The youth from other units assisted with imperative tasks such as registration, handing out medals, and attending participants. A resource fair was hosted in conjunction with the event to provide substance use prevention resources to participants.

A KYCC Prevention Community Council member stated, “It was a nice feeling to see the community come together, youth running, people cheering each other, supporting each other, having a good time while transforming MacArthur Park into a positive space.”

The success of this event was a joint effort thanks to partners including the Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles, Department of Recreations and Park: MacArthur Park Community Center, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, L.A Care Health Plan, Integrated Recovery Network, with funding support from Sierra Health Foundation – Elevate Youth California.

To learn more about KYCC’s Prevention Education programs, click here.