Since 2017, the Freed to Run events started by Gunster shareholder Mike Freed have raised nearly $3 million for Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, including $220,000 in 2025 through the Nov. 22-23 Freed to Run Challenge.
This year’s participants included 185 runners and walkers who did 12- and 24-hour relays around the Duval County Courthouse and a 5K run and 29 bicyclists who rode from St. Augustine to the courthouse in Downtown Jacksonville.
“Who would have thought that in less than a decade an effort by one man who ran all the way from Tallahassee to Jacksonville would turn into an event involving dozens of runners and bikers who together have had such an enormous impact?” JALA President and CEO Jim Kowalski said.
“The new format of a run around the Duval County Courthouse has enabled more people to get involved and we want to thank the many law firms, companies, institutions and individuals who have stepped up. As amazing as Mike Freed is, it is the wide-ranging support he has galvanized that has brought us this far.”
Of the $2.92 million raised, $2.25 million endows JALA’s Northeast Florida Medical Legal Partnership, perpetually funding an initiative through which lawyers, doctors and health care institutions work to improve the lives of children in Northeast Florida.
The $665,000 raised since the format changed in 2023 is earmarked for JALA’s Shelter for Elders endowment, which has set a $2.25 million goal to guarantee that JALA can address the needs of local seniors with housing-related legal issues in perpetuity.
An increasing number of residents over the age of 60 seek help from JALA for civil legal matters, including reverse mortgage foreclosures, door-to-door scams, wrongful evictions, substandard living conditions and discriminatory practices.
“So many of our elderly neighbors are falling prey to scammers, shady contractors, predatory lenders, and sometimes even family members who take advantage of them,” Kowalski said. “They are among the most vulnerable members of our community, which is why we are trying to make sure we will always be able to respond to their needs.”
The Delores Barr Weaver Legacy Fund provides a $25,000 match for funds raised each year since 2023, while the Florida Justice Association and the Jacksonville Justice Association have contributed the proceeds from their annual holiday wine reception, raising $60,000 this year.
Major sponsors include Gunster, Florida Blue, Harrell & Harrell and The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida.
“The great thing about Jacksonville and the Northeast Florida region as a whole is the spirit of community and generosity we have here,” Freed said.
“This event may bear my name, but it depends on the community as a whole, and we invite more firms and companies to join us for the 2026 Freed to Run Challenge. We still have a little over $1.5 million to go to meet our goal for the Shelter for Elders endowment.”