Upcoming charity 5K's by RU student groups herald spring
To replace worn surgical equipment for the Mission of Hope in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, the RU Pre-Medicine and Pre-Dental Clubs are teaming up.
As the sun melts the snow and spring nears, so does running season.
Those eagerly anticipating springtime workouts can register now and help five Radford University student groups with two April charity 5K events.
Run For Hope 5K
The Pre-Medicine and Pre-Dental Clubs at RU are hosting the Run for Hope 5K on Sunday, April 6, in Bisset Park, on behalf of the Mission of Hope, a surgical clinic in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Early-bird registration for the event closes on Friday, Feb. 28.
"People walk 50-60 miles to the clinic and endure chronic pain for years to get a procedure done there," said Pre-Medicine Club President Jacob Mace, a senior biology major from Mt. Jackson, Va. "This is a way for us to collaborate and focus our drive and manpower on their behalf."
Last September, Pre Med and Pre-Dental Club Presidents Jacob Mace and Dylan McKnight saw first hand the need that is fueling their clubs' Run for Hope 5K
Mace and Pre-Dental Club President Dylan McKnight, a senior biology major from Chesterfield, Va., spent a week last September at the urban clinic sterilizing surgical gear and experienced first-hand the clinic's need for new, basic surgical instruments like scalpels, clamps, retractors and laparoscopic instruments.
"In the United States, each procedure is done with brand new equipment and the clinic's equipment we worked on was worn out with use and re-use," said Mace, who added that clubs' goal is to raise $10,000 with the Run for Hope 5K and other joint fund-raising activities this semester in support of the Mission of Hope that does between up to 70 free surgeries a week.
The race is open to the public and early registration, by Friday, Feb. 28, is $25. From March 1-31, registration is $30 and registration from April 1 to race day is $35. To encourage registration by groups, the club is offering campus and community groups the chance to enter a minimum five-person team for a minimum donation of $125 to have their organization's logo featured on the race T-shirt, which will be given to the runners who register by March 30 and volunteers from the clubs' 25 members.To register, visit www.runforhope.myevent.com. For more information, contact McKnight at dsmcknight@radford.edu or Mace at jdmace@radford.edu.
Light It Up Blue 5K
The Student Occupation Therapy Association, the Student Physical Therapy Association and the campus chapter of the National Student Speech, Language and Hearing Organization are hosting their second annual Light It Up Blue 5K on Saturday, April 12, at Bisset Park as part of Autism Awareness Month.
The goal of the three groups is to surpass the almost $5,000 raised by more than 200 runners and 19 sponsors last year to promote autism awareness in the community. For more information, click here or email sota@radford.edu.