In honor of the department’s 50th anniversary, the Bellevue Fire Department is holding the ‘Be A Hero 5K’ on Sunday, Sept. 13.

“We wanted to do something where we really celebrated with our community. We’re always going into people’s home to help them with their emergencies, so this is our way of giving back,” Maia Earle, co-chair of the event.

The event will support the department’s Community Support Foundation, which offers education, financial and/or personal support to alleviate suffering and improve the human condition by providing assistance to deserving community members, firefighters, and their families.

The one-time-only event will consist of a 5K run, a walk for people with strollers, in wheelchairs, walkers and those with dogs, and a ‘Hold ‘Em High Dash,’ during which teams of five people must carry one person throughout the entire race course. Team members can alternate who is being carried, as long as the carried person weighs above 80 pounds.

Participants will receive a special challenge coin in lieu of medals, per fire service tradition. The first 600 race participants will also get a backpack full of emergency preparedness items and gifts from the event sponsors.

After the race, there will be a fitness festival, live music from Blind Alley and King County Pipes and Drums, food trucks, face painting and a kid’s firefighter challenge course.

Attendees may also catch a glimpse of Phoenix Jones and his superhero crew, who will be competing in the race.

“I think what I’m most excited for, in honor of our 50th anniversary, I’ve had so many companies and organizations contact me unsolicited and ask how they can get involved,” Earle said. “I think we’ll have this great small town feel in what has become a big city.”

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported that the event would be held on Sept. 12. It will be held on Sunday, Sept. 13.