Run 4 Chuck. Photo: Zach Polka
Over 30 runners attended the Run for Chuck 5K on Friday. It was a fundraising event held by the Drake women’s rowing team for the Chuck Shearer Leukemia Foundation.
With a donation fee of $10, the event kicked off at noon and focused on helping people affected by the disease.
Jackie Aldworth, the assistant coach for the women’s crew team, thought of the idea. Her uncle, Chuck Shearer, died of leukemia this past year, and it was his foundation.
“The money raised goes to researching cures and to Hope Lodge expenses, where people with leukemia can go to be with their families under a safe haven,” said senior Katie Martin, co-captain of the women’s crew team and responsible for assisting with the event planning.
Run 4 Chuck. Photo: Zach Polka
The event was open to Drake students, faculty and community members.
“I haven’t seen another organization do a 5K,” said first-year student Matt Van Hoeck. “There are a lot of runners on campus, so I’d like to see more groups do something like this.”
In a noncompetitive jaunt of 24 laps around the Knapp Center track, some took a different approach.
“I’m running longer races later on in the year, so I’m excited to do a shorter one between classes,” said sophomore Ian Weller.
Run 4 Chuck. Photo: Zach Polka
The midday time was a big seller for many, and not just for students.
“It’s my birthday, and I took the day off work to come here,” said Kiley Stenberg, a Drake community member. “It’s nice that it’s indoors and later in the day. Most races start at the butt-crack of dawn.”
All runners finished the race either by walking, jogging, running or a variation of all three.
“My goal was to avoid cardiac arrest and I met my goal,” Stenberg’s brother, John, said.
There was a $1 raffle at the end and the first 30 to sign up received an orange T-shirt with the logo of the foundation on the front of the shirt.
Martin said this might be the same foundation they raise for in the future, but they may switch to a different cause.
“It could be for another type of cancer or fundraiser, but we haven’t set it to be annual for this foundation,” she said.
Money donated will be pooled together and the crew team will write one big check to the Shearer Foundation.
“This was something productive to do with my Friday,” Van Hoeck said.
