‘Joyful Justice’ Memorial Day Road Race

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A group of South Carolina attorneys dedicated to promoting the well-being of their fellow lawyers is organizing a Memorial Day road race in downtown Columbia, S.C. on Monday.

Joyful Justice – founded by attorney Ed Schafer – is sponsoring the five-kilometer race this coming Monday morning (Memorial Day – May 27, 2024) in the historic Shandon neighborhood. The race – which intends to raise awareness and provide support for attorneys battling substance abuse and mental health issues – is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. EDT. A kid’s fun run scheduled to begin shortly thereafter, at 9:15 a.m. EDT.

According to organizers, the event is “dog and stroller friendly.”

Take a look …

(Click to view)

Schafer told us this week he’s expecting a “pretty good turnout” for the race, but encouraged anyone interested in supporting his mission to sign up this weekend.

Schafer, originally of Rock Hill, S.C., founded Joyful Justice as a nonprofit after he got sober in the summer of 2021. According to his online bio, “after immersing himself in his recovery, (Ed) has discovered a joy, peace, and freedom that he did not know was possible.”

Now, Schafer wants to help others in the Palmetto State’s legal profession discover the same joy, peace and freedom for themselves.

“(Ed) has started to share his experience, strength, and hope with others and believes he has been called by God to use his personal and professional experience to help others through Joyful Justice,” the group’s website noted.

According to Schafer’s group, “lawyers are at a significantly higher risk of depression, substance abuse, and other mental health issues than are members of other professions,” and Joyful Justice hopes to be part of a “national movement to promote systemic change in the legal profession in regards to lawyer well-being.”

To register for the race, click here. To learn more about Joyful Justice, click here.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina and before that he was a bass guitarist and dive bar bouncer. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.

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