CLEARFIELD – A pair of Clearfield High School students has far greater aspirations for their senior project, a 5K “Run for the Troops,” than simply fulfilling its requirements.
CHS senior Morgan Turner competes on the high school cross country team, in addition to participating in races regularly. While working together this past summer, she expressed interest in organizing a race locally to classmate, Kayla Brooks.
The two joined forces for their senior project and agreed they wanted their 5K Run/Walk to benefit a unique non-profit organization.
“The American Cancer Society and the American Red Cross are great organizations and they undoubtedly help a lot of people,” Brooks said. “But we didn’t want an organization that was so basic. We wanted our project to benefit one that hadn’t really been done before.”
By happenstance, the senior duo stumbled across the USO while researching organizations online. Brooks’ brother, Dylan currently serves in the U.S. Air Force and has for the past year-and-a-half. In September, his first deployment to Bagram, Afghanistan inspired their “Run for the Troops” project.
Turner and Brooks said the USO organization provides troops with a home away from home while keeping them connected with their families. In addition, they said the organization sends musical entertainment, such as country artist Trace Adkins, overseas to perform especially for the troops.
“The USO has been around a long time, and it doesn’t just help one branch. It helps every branch. It doesn’t matter what branch they are in, our troops are sacrificing just as much as all the other branches,” Brooks said.
The duo said registration forms have been placed at locations, such as the Clearfield YMCA and Jim’s Sports Center and can also be provided via e-mail. Race pre-registration concludes March 6; however, registration will be accepted through the day of the event, March 24.
Pre-registration is $16 for runners and $14 for walkers and includes a race T-shirt. Anyone who registers afterward must pay $18 and cannot be guaranteed a race T-shirt. All participants will be entered into a post-race raffle for an array of prizes.
Racers who aren’t pre-registered are encouraged to arrive at 7:30 a.m. March 24 at the Clearfield fairgrounds. All pre-registered participants may arrive at 8 a.m. to pick up their race T-shirt, and the race will get under way at 8:30 a.m.
Brooks said they are “totally open” to parents bringing strollers and welcoming children of all ages as well as dogs. Awards will be presented to the three highest placing males and females who will receive a T-shirt with their place on the back.
According to the duo, the race starts in the fairgrounds, and participants will run/walk through West Side before returning to the fairgrounds. They said it isn’t a difficult trek, and it wouldn’t require participants to be in “super shape.”
Brooks said she had competed in a similar type race. Prior to it, she told her mother she’d probably need to be “picked up off the sidewalk” at the finish line. Surprisingly, she was just the opposite, saying she felt “good and refreshed” afterward.
“We’re hoping to get close to 100 people. Our biggest goal is to gain enough sponsors to cover costs for the T-shirts. We want to donate all of our entry fees to the USO and give them as much as possible,” Turner said.
Brooks said her brother, Dylan, would be home in February and hoped to attend the pair’s “Run for the Troops” event. In fact, she hopes to have him speak if he’s able to attend.
“It would mean a lot to have him here and for people to hear from him (about their lives),” Brooks said. Turner added, “Our troops miss Christmas as well as other holidays and birthdays with their families. If they can do that for us, people can get out of bed a little earlier on a Saturday morning.”
Brooks said she will enter the U.S. Air Force in June 2013. If she and Turner’s “Run for the Troops” proves successful, the duo hopes to make the race an annual event.
For additional information or to obtain a registration form, please contact Morgan Turner via e-mail at morgiewee@yahoo.com.
