DENVER, CO--(Marketwired - Oct 23, 2015) - When the 12^th Annual Great Candy Run (GCR) gets underway on Sunday, November 8 in Washington Park, the youngest participants will be the first to compete by taking part in the Coda Coffee Gumdrop Kids Fun Run. It's fitting that the day's activities, which benefit the Fetal Health Foundation (FHF), start with healthy children having a good time.

Tommy Thwaites, his brother, Tim, and their father, Tom Sr., are the founders of Coda Coffee. When Tommy and his wife, Patty, learned that the twins they were expecting had twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), they did what most families do. They went online to learn as much as possible about the life-threatening condition in which one child does not get enough blood and nutrients while the other gets too much. They also were looking for help and support.

What they discovered was the FHF and its founder and chief executive officer, Lonnie Somers. He assisted them in locating a specialist in Thwaites' native Washington, where the young couple sought aid for their unborn children. Unfortunately, only one of the babies survived. Today, Memphis Thwaites is a healthy 10 year old and big brother to five-year-old Cash.

Coda Coffee has been a sponsor of the Great Candy Run for nearly a decade. When Somers asked the Thwaites family to support the Great Candy Run, which raises funds for the Fetal Health Foundation, they were happy to get involved.

"We had just recently started Coda Coffee and were looking for ways to give back to the community," Tommy Thwaites, a runner himself, said. "Being a sponsor for the Great Candy Run is an excellent opportunity to support the Fetal Health Foundation and also promote our brand."

This year, in addition to sponsoring the Gumdrop Kids Fun Run, Coda Coffee is hosting a Giveback Weekend at its recently-opened storefront at 5224 West 25th Avenue in Edgewater. This is the first bricks and mortar operation for the company, which started as strictly a wholesale operation. From November 6-8, the Denver-based company will donate 25 percent of the profits from the retail store to the Fetal Health Foundation.

Dedicated to promoting sustainability, Coda Coffee's (http://codacoffee.com/) mission is to set the standard for coffee excellence through education, advocacy and partnerships. In 2013, Coda earned B Lab certification for its positive impact on society and the environment. In 2014, the company was named Macro Roaster of the Year by Roast Magazine.

The November 8 Great Candy Run, presented by The Colorado Institute for Maternal and Fetal Health, is a fun-filled event for all ages. In addition to the free Coda Coffee Gumdrop Kids Fun Run, there will be a 5K run/walk with a competitive stroller division, Hammond's Candy Station, costume contest, prize money, medals for all finishers, on-course entertainment, celebrity appearances by local mascots, post-race expo area, and plenty of sweet treats. For event details and registration, visit http://www.thegreatcandyrun.com/?event=denver.

Based in Littleton, the Fetal Health Foundation leads the way in supporting families and medical treatment centers dealing with intrauterine fetal syndromes. The 501c3 nonprofit organization connects families diagnosed with a fetal condition to top-rated medical specialists and funds research to improve outcomes in fetal conditions. In addition to raising money for the foundation's work, the GCR also boosts awareness of fetal condition diagnoses and provides a community of hope for families experiencing these medical challenges. More information about the Fetal Health Foundation is available at www.fetalhealthfoundation.org.