SLS Community is a nonprofit service provider for neurodivergent adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Ashton McCombs IV is the executive director. He visited with Ozarks at Large’s Sophia Nourani in the Harold and Blanche Caulk News Studio to discuss their upcoming SLS 5K Dash and Fun Run.
Proceeds from the race, which takes place on Nov. 8, will go toward supporting the work at SLS, which McCombs explains as home- and community-based services.
Ashton McCombs: So we have a residential program and then Program Forge, which is, we like to call it, a vocational equipping program where the goal is job placement and teaching different job development skills.
Sophia Nourani: And we’re talking about a run today. You’ve hosted a few of these before?
Ashton McCombs: Yeah. So the SLS Dash 5K and one-mile Fun Run for Neurodiversity is our biggest community event every year. It kind of goes throughout the side of our future operations. We have plans for a live, work, play community as part of a development called Cato Springs in south Fayetteville, right next to Kessler Mountain Regional Park.
So the goal of this event is really to provide an accessible platform for fitness, movement, and activity for runners and walkers, really of all backgrounds and abilities. You don’t have to be a runner — neurodivergent and neurotypical.
It’s a really fun event. We’ll have vendors, music, a DJ, food — the whole nine yards. It’s a good time. This is the third iteration. It started in 2022, the second one was 2023, we skipped last year because we were going through the Medicaid credentialing process. We just wanted to bust through that, and now we’re back bigger and better than ever this year.
Sophia Nourani: Why specifically do you guys choose to do the run? Health is an important aspect, but can you tell me a little bit about why you choose to do this specific event?
Ashton McCombs: Yeah, we put a big focus on whole health in our programming and services. Our focus is on neurodivergent adults, but this race is for all ages, all backgrounds, really for anybody.
After high school, I think there are fewer outlets for neurodivergent individuals that are accessible for movement and activity. It’s such an important part of your lifespan — finding ways to move and get outside. So this is just a really fun, supportive event and opportunity to do that.
This is Nov. 8. Both races, the 5K and the Fun Run, will start at 9 a.m. Race day check-in starts at 7 a.m.
One thing I forgot to mention is the theme this year is “Dash Like a Hero.” Due to the proximity to Halloween, volunteers and runners are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite superheroes. Or you can repurpose any family-friendly Halloween costume. We definitely encourage that — or just come however is comfortable for you. Race shirts are included in registration.
Sophia Nourani: Oh, very cool. And where can people find registration?
Ashton McCombs: Just go to wslscommunity.org or just Google “WSLS for Neurodiversity.” We’re on all kinds of race calendars and event calendars in the area. We encourage people to sign up two weeks in advance to make sure we have your size and race shirt on race day. We’ll have some extras, but can’t guarantee, so two weeks out is best.
Sophia Nourani: Are you going to be in the run as well?
Ashton McCombs: I will be, yeah. I’ll be running around.
Sophia Nourani: Do you like to run?
Ashton McCombs: I do, yeah. I don’t run as much as I should, but I’ll be kind of behind the scenes making everything happen. We’ve always had a really strong volunteer outpouring. We still have opportunities for volunteers to get involved — a whole host of different positions, whether it’s course marshal, setup, takedown, or water stations at the start-finish line.
Sophia Nourani: Can people find all that on the same site?
Ashton McCombs: All at the race site, yep.
Sophia Nourani: What was that link again, one more time?
Ashton McCombs: wsls.org.
Sophia Nourani: Do you guys usually host it around this time of year?
Ashton McCombs: We do, yeah. We do it in the fall. We usually schedule around the football season. This was kind of a bye week in November. There aren’t that many races in November, so we’re trying to fill a gap there.
Both races are chipped, so if you’re coming to get your time or just coming to complete a 5K or one-mile Fun Run, it’s really for everybody.
That was SLS Community executive director Ashton McCombs IV speaking with Ozarks at Large’s Sophia Nourani in the Harold and Blanche Caulk News Studio.
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