For more than 20 years, Ginger Goudie taught students at The Janus School in Mount Joy, making an impact every day.

"She taught math, and she also taught our junior and senior success classes, where she helped students with internships and opportunities to be more involved in the community," said James Dempsey, dean of students. "She was also a big fan of fall and a big fan of the outdoors. She was an incredible person who gave it her all in the classroom and outside the classroom for our students."

Goudie passed away from cancer last November, and the staff members at The Janus School wanted to honor her memory. They are organizing the Ginger Goudie Memorial 5K and The Janus School Fall Fest on Saturday, Oct. 28. The events will be held at the school, 205 Lefever Road, Mount Joy.

"We think it's absolutely important to remember her and her legacy," noted Dempsey, who added that all profits from the 5K will support the Ginger Goudie Financial Aid Fund.

The 5K will begin at 10 a.m., followed by a kids' half-mile fun run at 11:30 a.m. The Fall Fest will also begin at 11:30 a.m.

Medals will be awarded for various age groups in the 5K, and trophies will be presented to the top male and top female finisher.

The Fall Fest will feature a variety of family-friendly activities, including bounce houses, crafts and food. Food trucks on-site will be Gourmet Julie's Way, Noel's Cafe, Stoney's Burgers and Fries, What's For Supper and TJ's Ice Cream.

The festivities are open to anyone in the community, and head of school Heather Strunk hopes the day will raise awareness of everything The Janus School does.

"We are the only K to 12 independent school for students with learning differences in southcentral Pennsylvania," Strunk explained. "We serve students in six counties - Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York."

The Janus School currently has 74 students enrolled, but new students are accepted throughout the school year, she noted.

"We're working to empower our students to be the best versions of themselves and to become lifelong learners and problem-solvers," Strunk remarked. "We want to set them up for academic and personal success after leaving The Janus School."

She emphasized that many parents comment on the support their children receive at The Janus School.

"Many of our students were not thriving in other placements," she said. "They weren't getting a lot of positive feedback, and the parents never heard things their child can do. We focus on strengths here. Children at The Janus School can feel seen, safe and valued."

Dempsey noted that Goudie would appreciate the purpose of the 5K and Fall Fest. "This would be important to her, because she valued community," he said. "She'd be excited to see everyone come out for this. You can walk or run and then walk around and check out the Fall Fest activities. Come get to know a part of your town you maybe didn't know existed before."

For more information on the 5K and Fall Fest and to register for the race, visit https://thejanusschool.org/fallfest.