Amid a cloudy gray sky, flurries of snow and frigid winds, more than 70 runners braved the weather and turned the campus of Youngstown State University into a racecourse on Saturday to benefit the Akron Children’s Hospital of the Mahoning Valley in a 5K hosted by the American Medical Student Association.
Dylan Thomas, an AMSA member, said planning begin in January.
“It took things a little while to get up and running, but we spent approximately two months planning this event,” Thomas said.
“Our goal was to raise $1,000 because we did this on real short-term notice,” said Cody McCullough, who helped organize the event.
Just before the race began at 10 a.m. near the Watson and Tressel Training Site, McCullough said that the group had raised about $1,500. Registration for the event cost $15 dollars for students and $20 for non-students and donations were accepted online.
Thomas said that the group decided to donate the money to the hospital because of the good that they do for children in the area.
“It really helps out families in need in the Valley and we know that every dollar we collect here today will stay in the Valley,” Thomas said.
The race route traveled around the outer edges of YSU’s campus along Scott St., Fifth Ave., Lincoln Ave. and Wick Ave. on the first lap, while the second lap was the same until runners reached Lincoln Ave.
“When it gets to Lincoln, it’s going to be cutting through the YSU campus, just to change it up and get some hills and stuff in there,” McCullough said.
The AMSA was also accepting separate donations that will be given to the victims and families of the Boston Marathon bombings that occurred on April 15.
