LOCK HAVEN – Members of the community are invited to participate in Lock Haven University’s ninth annual Physician Assistant Program 5K Fun Run/Walk, which has been slated for Saturday, March 31, rain or shine. Registration begins at 8 a.m. at Huber Jack Stadium on the LHU campus.
The race begins at 9 a.m. at Huber Jack Stadium and ends behind Russell Hall. It is the same course as last year, so runners should be familiar with the course.
Age groups are 18 and under, 19-25, 26-40 and 41 and over. Awards will be presented for the overall top male and female participants, the top male and female walkers, and first place finishers in each age group.
Pre-registration is $12. Registration after March 23 is $15. Registration forms are available outside Room 227 in the Health Professions Building, in the Student Recreation Center, or by email to Tracie George at tgeroge@lhup.edu or to AlysonWattai at awattai@lhup.edu.
One of the goals of the Lock Haven University PA Program is to promote health care in medically underserved areas of Pennsylvania. Proceeds from this year’s 5K race will benefit The Clinic, located in Phoenixville.
Each year, first-year PA students at Lock Haven University compete with first-year students from other Pennsylvania physician assistant programs to see which program can raise the most money for PSPA’s designated charity. Last year, the LHU program donated $1,500 to The International Institute of Erie, placing LHU first among its biggest contending schools. Their goal is to again donate the most to the PSPA selected charity, The Clinic.
The Clinic, by way of 800 patient visits per month, provides primary care and specialized medical services through in-house staff and a significant number of volunteer physicians and other clinicians. The Clinic’s medical philosophy encompasses the economic, mental health, family, and psychosocial environment to be inseparable from the individual, thus treating the patient as a whole being.
One of the 5K organizers, first-year PA student Tracie Marie George, is hoping for a large number of participants. “We are hoping for a big turnout in Lock Haven as well as from our branch campuses in Clearfield, Harrisburg and Coudersport,” she said. “We anticipate a great community turnout to help us reach our goal for the charity this year, The Clinic.”
Those who are unable to make the race are welcome to make donations. “We would appreciate any support from the community and Lock Haven University,” George added.
The Physician Assistant Program at Lock Haven University is ranked in the top 25 nationwide in U.S. News and World Report’s rankings of graduate programs. Lock Haven University offers the program at its main campus in Lock Haven, at its Clearfield Campus, at the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg, and at Charles Cole Memorial Hospital in Coudersport.
Lock Haven University is a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), the largest provider of higher education in the commonwealth. Its 14 universities offer more than 250 degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. Nearly 405,000 system alumni live and work in Pennsylvania.