Racing through Richmond's Fan District will bring community closer together and benefit students.
By Paul B. O'Brien
Benedictine and Saint Gertrude High Schools will work together on Saturday, March 14, 2009 in a 5-kilometer race that will take participants through the heart of Richmond's Fan District.
The race will begin and end at Benedictine High, and participants can expect to run through the Fan’s Museum District and Windsor Farms.
Proceeds will benefit general student funds at both schools.
Terri Quinan, annual fund director for Benedictine made the arrangements for the two schools to work together.
“I approached the advancement office at Saint Gertrude about this and we agreed to pull in students from both schools and split the proceeds in half,” she said.
Quinan’s counterpart at Saint Gertrude, special event coordinator Katie McKenney, emphasized the positive aspects of the joint project.
“We have students and alumni and parents participating,” she said. “The money we raise will go to the students and everyone can be proud of the results.”
Various Richmond merchants are pitching in with offers of food and expertise. “I was pleased with the response,” said Quinan. “Whole Foods, Kroger and two locally owned companies agreed to donate and help us with logistics.”
The two local companies referred to by Quinan are Road Runner Running Store owned by Thom Suddeth and RunRideRace owned by Mark Junkermann.
Suddeth agreed to allow event advertising in his store. “We agreed to help them out,” he said. “It’s good for the community.”
Junkermann is offering his company’s expertise to help organize the event. “I’ll mark the course and provide timing for the event as well as coordinate race results,” he said.
Quinan described the organization of the race as complex. “There are difficulties in organizing a race like this one, especially in the Fan,” she said. “Did you know that the city requires eight police officers present to assist for an event like this?
“We have to pay for their time,” she added. “I’m hoping that we’ll make enough profit to pay the officers and still have a good amount left for the fund.”
As of late February, 120 people are registered to run, although Quinan expressed optimism that the list will grow.
“My goal is 250 participants, which would be great for a first time race in the Fan,” she said. "The registration limit is 500, but even half of that would be great for us.”
Registration is available online at www.benedictinehighschool.org. The entry fee is $20 per person before March 1 and $25 afterwards.
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