TULALIP — The debut “Run From the Law 5K” on Sunday, Sept. 16, aims to recruit both cops and runners of all ages to help raise funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Shelley Hutcheson-Smith, who’s taking part in coordinating the first-time event, with an eye toward making it annual, explained that volunteer police officers will start five minutes after the civilian runners to try and cross the same finish line.

“We’ve already got some folks from the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office and the Tulalip Tribal Police,” said Hutcheson-Smith, who thanked Quil Ceda Village for providing the Tulalip Amphitheatre as the site of the 5K charity. “We’d love to see Marysville and Arlington police officers as well. We want the whole community to get involved.”

Hutcheson-Smith hopes to see at least 10 police officers and about 100 runners signed up in time for the 5K, which is scheduled to run from 8-10 a.m. on Sept. 16.

“We’re really beating the bushes to get more participants,” said Hutcheson-Smith, who credited an employee of North Sound Physical Therapy in Marysville for coming up with the idea of a 5K to “run from the cops,” and the owner of that business for inspiring its choice of charity, since the owner’s son benefitted from the Make-A-Wish Foundation while receiving heart surgery. “We expect this is the sort of event that will start small but grow over the years.”

Hutcheson-Smith added that many of the event’s coordinators are volunteering their services to try and minimize its expenses, so that it can meet a goal of around $2,500 in donations directly to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The cost to participate is $25 per person. For more information, email runningtogive@gmail.com or log onto www.runfromthelaw5k.com.