Embark on a 9-mile fitness challenge to help feline friends live their best nine lives

Lewisburg, Pa. — Get ready to walk, run, or ride over nine miles during the month of August to benefit cats in the Susquehanna Valley! Registration is now open for the fifth annual Nine Miles for Nine Lives Fitness Challenge.

Hosted by Cherished Cats Rescue Alliance and Lewisburg's cat café, The Scratching Post, the event lasts throughout the entire month of August. Participants can cover the distance all at once, or break it into chunks throughout the month.

When registering for the event, participants are able to create a link to a personal fundraiser on Facebook, earning the rescue additional donations. To register, visit The Scratching Post's website . There is a $25 registration fee.

“You can create a personal fundraiser through the registration link to make it easy,” said Sarah Kline, board president and founder of Cherished Cats. “Ask your friends and family to sponsor a mile or encourage you to go further or faster. However you cover the distance, we appreciate your support.”

Money raised through the event will help provide essential veterinary care to rescue cats, ensuring that each one receives necessary vaccinations, treatments, and medical attention. The funds will also help purchase food, litter, and toys and support the trap-neuter-return work in the area, which helps to control feral cat populations.

All participants will receive a fun swag bag to be picked up at a celebration event in September, at The Scratching Post, or shipped for an additional fee, including an awesome t-shirt for those who register by Aug. 6 and other nice goodies. It should be noted that swag bags will not be available prior to the event, but organizers promise that they will be worth the wait. Bags not picked up at The Scratching Post by the end of September will be forfeited.

More details about the September celebration event will be announced as the date approaches.

This year’s event features several new perks, including awards for top participants in each category (most miles run, biked, and walked) as well as for top fund raisers, surprises for a few randomly chosen participants who log at least nine miles, and an additional gift for participants who raise $25 or more.

The top finishers in each category will be determined by the total miles using that mode of exercise. Logged miles should be intentional exercise, not the total miles covered in a day. This is on your honor, but the cats are watching!

Questions about this event should be sent to the race director at info@cherishedcats.org .