Organ donors and recipients participated in the Be A Hero Family Fun Run/Walk 5K.

LIVE OAK, Fla. — Looking for a way to help promote National Donate Life Month, the Suwannee County Tax Collector’s Office decided three years ago to hit the road.

This Saturday, the Tax Collector’s Office is hosting its third annual “Be a Hero” 5K Family Fun Run/Walk at Heritage Park. The 5K begins at 7:30 a.m., with race-day registration available at 6:45 a.m. Pre-registration is available at raceentry.com. Registration for adults is $20 and children, 12 and under, are $5 with a registered adult.

“Some other counties had raised money through the years so we came up with the idea to have a 5K,” Andrew Poole said, adding it was Tax Collector Sharon Jordan’s idea. “It’s a good way to raise awareness at the event, but also a good way to raise money to put towards educating organ donor tissue awareness.

“It all comes together.”

Part of the awareness comes from participants who share their stories of receiving an organ or tissue transplant or of a family member who was a donor that helped save someone else’s life.

Poole said the goal is for more awareness from more participants as well. The inaugural 5K had not quite 50 participants with most registering on race day. Last year, Poole said there was close to 90 when the “Be a Hero” theme was pushed hard and a handful attended in their superhero attire.

Poole said the theme still remains, but he wasn’t sure if any superheroes would be attending, other than the every-day variety that have previously helped by donating life.

Whether or not superheroes descend on Heritage Park, Poole said the real mission is sharing information — as well as raising funds — for organ and tissue donation awareness.

“There’s a lot of misconceptions about being an organ donor,” he said.