Good Sports: Got Miles? 5k Birthday Race

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- This celebration has everything you'll find at a typical birthday party: balloons, treats and loved ones. But guests to this event are spending time getting physical.

"I love seeing all the people out there, having the smiles on their faces, knowing that we're doing this for a good cause," said Miles Alexander, who runs cross country for Clovis North High School.

Over the past four years, Alexander has organized a race on his birthday, benefitting an organization dear to his heart: Fresno's Poverello House.

"It feels really good knowing we are giving money back to everyone who is here now and just knowing that we are helping make a difference with all of them," said Alexander.

He and his mother work side by side to put this event together, using social media to get the word out.

"All the years we've done it we've only had about 75 people at the most. This year was a big event, so we were excited to have everybody come out," said Alexander.

This dynamic duo chose the Poverello House as the beneficiary of their event because they've done volunteer work for the organization for years.

"When I was little we went to go help package food and stuff, like we would put them in boxes and they would ship them out," said Alexander.

"It's just really nice to see the younger generation get involved, and I really hope it motivates other young kids to get involved and to know volunteering is a very heart filling thing to do, and just that there are people out here who need their help," said Stephanie Ortiz with the Poverello House.

In four years, the Got Miles? 5k Birthday Race has raised about $5,000 for the Poverello House. With the money raised by the event, they'll be able to pay for some of the meals they serve every day as well as other services offered to the individuals.

"Donations like this are really special to us just because they're going out of their way and they're thinking of something creative to give back and something they can enjoy at the same time," said Ortiz.

As long as Alexander is around, he plans on keeping this birthday tradition going and planning bigger parties in the years to come.