By MOLLY DAVIDSON / Staff Writer

HOOVER—Looking for some family fun? Sign up for the second annual Frostbite 5K and FunRun benefitting YoungLife of Birmingham South on Jan. 31 in Hoover’s Veterans Park.

The day will kick off with a 5k race at 8:30 a.m., followed by a one mile family fun run at 9 a.m.

Prizes will be awarded to male and female age group winners and overall winners. Attendants can also enjoy snacks and music throughout the event.

The annual event benefits YoungLife of Birmingham South, a mentoring and enrichment program for high school students. The organization currently works with Oak Mountain High School and Spain Park High School, and has a program for middle school students, WyldLife, at Oak Mountain Middle School.

“YoungLife is a nondenominational outreach ministry for teenagers,” YoungLife Birmingham South Director John Beatty said. “It’s been around in Birmingham since the 1980s.”

The YoungLife program offers an afterschool “Club” meeting each week. It’s a relaxed and fun environment complete with games, music and a message, Beatty explained.

“We call Club a party with a purpose,” Beatty said.

The program also hosts a weekly in-depth bible study called “Campaigners,” a winter camp and a week-long summer camp.

“In any given week, 50 to 60 kids are coming to Oak Mountain’s YoungLife Club,” Beatty said, estimating between 15 and 20 students regularly attend Campaigners at OMHS each week. “It’s been a real big time blessing.”

YoungLife Birmingham South has one full-time staff member and 14 trained volunteer leaders who work with the students at Spain Park, OMHS and OMMS, Beatty said. Money raised from the Frostbite 5k and Fun Run will go directly toward supporting the organization’s work with children in the area.

“It goes directly to support the ministry,” Beatty said. “Every dollar, every penny that we spend is in the interest of kids hearing about Jesus.”

For more information about YoungLife Birmingham South, visit Birminghamsouth.younglife.org. To sign up for the Frostbite 5k and FunRun, visit Active.com/hoover-al/running/races/frostbite-5k-and-funrun-benefiting-younglife-of-birminghamsouth-and-presented-by-nature-s-request-2015