Runners and walkers will be hitting the pavement on Saturday for the 15th annual Knights of Columbus 5K and kids fun run, with all proceeds supporting the South Portland Food Cupboard.

This year’s route is the same as last year’s, starting and ending at St. Maximilian Kolbe Church on Black Point Road and weaving through residential neighborhoods near the church.

Tige Cunningham, the race director, expects there to be more than 100 racers and to raise $10,000, matching last year’s numbers, though a goal is always to grow.

“The main goal each year is to grow the race such that we donate more money to the food cupboard,” Cunningham said.

Over the years, the race has supported different community nonprofits, but for the past five years, it has raised funds for the South Portland Food Cupboard because during the pandemic, food pantries saw an uptick in demand.

Even in wealthy areas of South Portland, Scarborough and Cape Elizabeth, Cunningham said “there are still pockets of people who need basic necessities.”

“These are local families and local people,” he added. And last year, a week before Cunningham delivered the $10,000 check to the food cupboard, its walk-in freezer died, and the check was able to cover the costs of the repairs.

And Dwayne Hopkins, the executive director of the food cupboard, said that any money goes a long way in the organization’s general fund. $20 is enough money to feed an individual for a month, and according to Hopkins’ quick math, $10,000 would support 500 individuals for a year.

“The impact is absolutely significant,” he said, especially considering the need in the area. In the past few years, there has been a 15% increase in the number of people using the cupboard’s services. And he estimated that more than 22,000 individuals receive food from the cupboard.

“Nutrition affects the heart, soul, mind and strength,” he said. It makes it harder for children to engage in school and it impacts the quality of life for senior citizens.

For $30, a racer gets a spot at the starting line, Cunningham said. All of the money raised either goes directly to the food cupboard or back into the race to raise more money.

And a lot of the fundraising comes from local sponsors, Cunningham said, including a raffle of gift cards.

The kids fun run begins at 8:30 a.m., followed by the 5K at 9 a.m. Registration was open online at runsignup.com until midnight Tuesday, but runners can still register the day of the event.

“If you wake up on Saturday morning and decide that you want to run, that money goes a long way,” Cunningham said.

After the race, runners are invited back to the church for free baked goods, fresh fruit, breakfast sandwiches and bagels.

Gregory Lull, of Portland, has been running the race on and off since 2012, sometimes with his wife and son. His son was 11 when they started running the race, and he finally beat Lull in 2018.

Lull, who runs quite a lot, including every street in Portland, South Portland and 75% of Scarborough, said there is a huge need for a race like this.

“It combines two things I love,” he said. “Running and giving back.”