A 3K color run and barbecue event will be held this weekend to raise funds that will be used to establish programs that will help people fight addiction.

It’s called “Run for their Life,” and is being organized by Rescue Army and the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department.

The event will be held Saturday, May 18, at Friendship Park in Picayune from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Rescue Army Director/Founder Sarai Willhite said the funds will be used to establish a mission in the Nicholson area off of Jackson Landing Road near the post office. It will be called Red Pearl Café and Pottery. Willhite said it will feature a soup kitchen and offer addiction recovery classes for residents in the area.

She said the funds will also help with efforts ongoing in Rescue Army’s women’s transitional home, where up to 10 women can find the help they need with overcoming addiction, abuse or homelessness. Residents of the home get 30 days of free rent while they look for a job, after which time they are required to pay $400 monthly.

Rescue Army also features a Christian bookstore at the primary location on the corner of Goodyear Boulevard and Beech Street, where items such as jewelry, paintings, mugs and custom made T-shirts are sold.

Rescue Army also offers a program called Interference, where youth that are sentenced through the Youth Court are mandated to attend workshops that teach them about life choices, bullying, addiction and how to avoid the gang life, Willhite said.

Saturday’s event will feature hamburgers and hotdogs cooked by the Pearl River County Deputies Association and an organization called Someone’s Child will bring an interactive trailer called Mandy’s Room that will educate parents on the signs of addiction that can be found in a child’s room.

“We want people to show up to run, or just get a plate,” Willhite said.

Admission to the event is free. Plates of food will be sold for $10 each. Participants interested in running in the 3K can register the day of the event for $25, which includes a meal. Children can register fro the race for $10, which also includes a meal.

To register prior to the event, call 865-250-5021.