LAKE TAHOE, Nev. – Reef’s Run for Hydrocephalus Awareness is back for its eighth year, set to take place on Sunday, September 7, 2025, at the picturesque Round Hill Pines Beach Resort in Zephyr Cove, Lake Tahoe. Community members, families, and supporters are invited to join this fun run/walk/stroll. A supportive day to raise awareness and funding for hydrocephalus research and support.

Event Schedule

  • Check-in & Day-of Registration: 7:30 a.m., with complimentary coffee, juice, water, and snacks
  • 5K Fun Run / Walk / Stroll Start: 9:00 a.m.
  • Post-Run Festivities: Participants can enjoy a complimentary beer (21+), light snacks, and desserts, including cupcakes from Grandma Grace
  • Silent Auction & Raffle: Kicks off around 9:30 a.m., featuring over 80 community-donated items
  • Family Entertainment: DJ music, face painting, awards ceremony, and more

About Reef’s Run
Founded in 2019 by the Reef’s Race for a Cure Foundation, this annual event was inspired by Reef, who was born 9 weeks prematurely on June 17, 2016, and later diagnosed with hydrocephalus after multiple NICU challenges. Since its inception in 2018, the event has raised tens of thousands of dollars—over $17,000 in its first year, $38,000 in its second year, and $46,000 in 2022—with proceeds distributed to the Hydrocephalus Association, local families in need, and patient-focused charities.

Why It Matters
Hydrocephalus is a condition affecting more than 1 million Americans and approximately 1–2 in every 1,000 babies at birth. The only treatment currently available is brain surgery, most commonly to implant a shunt device, with failure rates among the highest in surgical treatments. An estimated 36,000–40,000 hydrocephalus surgeries occur each year, with medical costs approaching $2 billion annually, yet NIH funding for hydrocephalus research remains below $1 million per year.

Get Involved

  • Participants: Register early for discounted pricing and earn referral rewards.
  • Sponsors & Donors: Join community business partners who have generously supported the run over multiple years.
  • Silent Auction Item Donations: Community-sourced items fuel these key fundraising components.

Contact & Registration
For more information or to register, please visit ReefsRun.com or search “Reef’s Run 5K 2025 Zephyr Cove” on RunSignup.

For those wanting to particpant as a donor

Thanks to your continued support, we’ve come this far—and we couldn’t have done it without our amazing community. This year’s event will once again be held at the stunning Round Hill Pines Beach Resort on September 7, 2025.

Last year, our 7th Annual Reef’s Run raised over $40,000, with more than $16,200 already going directly to local families in need this year. These incredible results would not be possible without the generosity of our sponsors, volunteers, and community members like you.

Reef’s Run is more than just a 5K—it’s a unique, heartfelt event that brings people together to shine a light on hydrocephalus, a condition that affects 1–2 in every 1,000 babies born. There is no cure, no way to prevent it, and the only treatment is brain surgery. In the U.S. alone, 37,000 surgeries are performed every year—that’s one every 15 minutes.

Our mission is to raise awareness, support families in their time of need, and fund research toward a long-overdue cure.

We would love the opportunity to partner with you this year. Here are just a few ways to get involved:

  • Join us as an individual participant
  • Become an event sponsor
  • Donate to the cause
  • Contribute goods or services
  • Provide items for our silent auction

Can’t donate right now? You can still support us by volunteering, sharing our mission with friends and family, or spreading the word on social media—it all makes a difference.

Reef’s Run is a labor of love, and our goal is to unite the community to support those living with hydrocephalus and to provide relief to local families during their most challenging times.

Thank you for being such an important part of our journey. We’d love to connect and discuss how we can partner this year.

Questions? Contact Sarah at (661) 312-2685.