GREENFIELD — Rain or shine, the Big Brothers Big Sisters Point 5K will return this year to the Franklin County Fairgrounds on Thursday, July 18, from 4 to 8 p.m. to raise money to help foster one-on-one mentoring relationships for children.

Participants are encouraged to dress up — this year’s theme is rodeo — and walk the 546-yard path, collecting food samples from local vendors every 50 feet or so. Vendors include Buckland Pizza, The Brewery at Four Star Farms of Northfield, Deerfield’s Ciesluk Farmstand and Greenfield’s Garden Cinemas serving popcorn.

“This year, we’re reintroducing ourselves as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western Mass, because we (Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County) have recently merged with Berkshire County and Hampden County,” said Program Supervisor Abbe Bresciano. “It’s an opportunity for us to showcase our mentorship, our matches, and get our name out there for the community.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters matches “Bigs,” adult mentors over the age of 21, with “Littles,” kids ages 6 to 14, based on aligning interests, personalities and locations. The mentoring supports children and teens who may not otherwise have stable relationships with adults.

“We make sure that we match kiddos and adults that have the same kind of interests in things,” Bresciano said. “That the adults have time in their world to create a stable relationship for a community youth that might not necessarily have that opportunity in their everyday life.”

The Point 5K fundraiser began in 2019, after former Development Director Ericka Almeida read about a similar event in Texas. While she thought that one of the main draws of that event — alcohol and cigarettes at checkpoints — would be inappropriate for an event run by a youth charity, she thought it was admirable to have a race that was accessible to everyone.

Tickets for the Point 5K are $35 for adults ages 18 and up, $20 for youth, and $20 for Big Brothers Big Sisters mentor/mentee matches who plan to attend together. Tickets can be purchased at tinyurl.com/BBBSPoint5K.

“It’s really kind of cute because people come in costumes, some are very serious about it, will run and collect their food,” Bresciano said. “And then, at the end, everybody sits and congregates, eats a meal together. We’ll have some activities, like backyard games to play … but it’s really just a few hours on a Thursday evening where people can hang out and have fun together.”