Jacksonville permits Donna Foundation 5K run for Mother's Day weekend after uncertainty
Jacksonville will permit The Donna Foundation’s Mother’s Day 5K run for its original date after an uproar on social media opposed the possibility the permit could be denied.
The foundation, founded by mayoral candidate Donna Deegan, has held the event raising money for breast cancer research and advocacy annually for 15 years. The city asked the foundation earlier in the week to move the race to another date to avoid any “appearance of improper election influence,” according to Brian Hughes, the city’s chief administrative officer, as it is the day before early voting ends in Jacksonville.
The foundation announced Friday afternoon that the permit was granted.
“We are encouraged that the matter was resolved quickly, and we can focus on preparing for a survivorship celebration worthy of the breast cancer patients, survivors and every mom we serve,” Amanda Napolitano, the executive director for the Donna Foundation, said in a media release.
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Deegan, a Democrat, is running against Republican Daniel Davis for mayor in May. Davis, who has not publicly commented on the permitting question, has been endorsed by current Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry – leading to the social media speculation that the permit was a tool for a larger political game.
Is this how Jax leaders treat women seeking office? Party politics now denies Jax a beloved 5K celebrating women. After a push to investigate a woman candidate then running hateful attack ads & denying a routine permit to another candidate, this is politics at its very worst.
— Matt Carlucci (@matt_carlucci) April 5, 2023
Come on gents, if this report is accurate and the city doesn’t grant the permit for this returning event for political reasons, then think of the optics and reconsider. It is a bad look to mothers, families, and the breast cancer community. Oh my! https://t.co/0iZ4t5xs2Z
— Ellen Glasser (@ellenglasserAB) April 5, 2023
Hughes said in an email Wednesday the city asked if the organization would consider moving the date of the event was to “protect the organization and COJ (city of Jacksonville).”
"Since it was an invitation to consider a reasonable alternative and to follow up in discussion, the organization choosing to ignore the invitation and instead give an incorrect account to the media is a disappointment,” Hughes said in the email.
The foundation is separate from Deegan’s campaign for mayor, the organization said, and moving the event would have been logistically difficult.
The event is now set to continue as scheduled for May 13, three days before the runoff election.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville allows permit for Donna Foundation race Mother's Day weekend
