No one goes it alone. That's why healthy family relationships provide structure for our society.

Bethany Christian Services is all about healthy families - conventional families, extended families, blended families. Even the nonprofit organization's fundraisers revolve around families.

"For me, the people who make up my family may not all be blood relatives," said Dawn Tluczek, who's in charge of church and donor engagement for Bethany Christian Services of Lancaster. "For some people who are single, it's their cat or their dog. It's the people who surround us and who have our backs. We are very involved with foster care and adoption. It's who you go through life with."

On Tuesday, May 16, Bethany Christian Services of Lancaster is sponsoring its inaugural in-person Go Further for Family walk/run at Long's Park, 1441 Harrisburg Pike, Lancaster. The event will be held at Pavilion 1 at Long's Park and will begin at 12:30 p.m., with registration at noon.

Registration rates are reduced for groups of individuals, and participants are encouraged to solicit sponsorships from businesses, family members and friends. Participants will receive a T-shirt and goodie bag, and bikes and pets are welcome.

"Our organization is all about family preservation," said Tluczek. "Everything revolves around the family. (The event is) an opportunity for families to walk together and just spend time together, talking with one another and engaging one another. It's a time to put phones away. There's something cool about family time."

"We just want people to have a better understanding of who we are and see what we do," continued Tluczek. "We're very involved and engaged in our community. If one family becomes a foster family, it would be a success. There are a lot of organizations out there doing great things, and we're one of them."

After virtually introducing the Go Further for Family walk/run during the pandemic, Tluczek said she's hoping for 150 participants for the event's initial in-person staging. The Go Further for Family walk/run is part of a national initiative to support vulnerable children and families.

May is National Foster Care Month.

"The hope is you always want to get bigger each year," said Tluczek. "Eventually, I'd like to see hundreds, even thousands, come out. I don't think the community knows enough about Bethany Christian Services. If one person can be touched and reached, hopefully the word spreads."

Established in 1984, Bethany Christian Services operates out of its global offices in Grand Rapids, Mich., and also sponsors programs in Harrisburg, York, State College and Reading. Bethany Christian Services focuses on adoption, foster care, parenting, pregnancy, the strengthening of families and refugees and immigrants.

"In Pennsylvania, there are 2,000 to 3,000 kids looking for families, and to us, that's unacceptable," said Tluczek. "There are kids who really need us. They are not bad kids, but they have no other families. It just takes someone with a heart."

For additional information about the Go Further for Family walk/run, go to https://runsignup.com/Race/PA/Lancaster/CentralPennsylvaniaGoFurtherForFamilywalkrun.