Racing to prevent malaria!

On September 30th, Allegheny College took a stand against malaria by participating in a 5k road race. Allegheny students were joined by their professors, administrators, local community members and even their parents to raise money for bed nets. Students and faculty had been training for this day, and on the day of the race it showed! Not only were the finishing times impressive, but more importantly, Allegheny College raised over $1,200 for bed nets!

There was a wide range of participation with over 100 students taking part in the event. The race course was challenging with many hills, and it covered difficult terrain over brick roads- but this did not stop the runners and walkers, who were dedicated to raising money for bed nets. Participants came from campus organizations such as Alpha Phi Omega, Gator activities programming, The wellness committee, Allegheny student government, residence life, greek life, and many others. The collaboration of the many campus organizations worked extremely well and helped not only to fight malaria, but also to bridge the gap between campus organizations and encourage them to work together toward a common cause.

For some, the competition was fierce. The Dean of Students at Allegheny College, Joe D’Christina, was challenged by five fraternity brothers. The deal was that if the dean of students lost to the five brothers, he would have to buy them lunch. It was a race to the finish, with the victory going to the fraternity brothers.

The “5k to Fight Malaria,” this year’s first Nothing But Nets fundraising event, ran very smoothly as a result of the support provided by a Buzz Cuts Grant. The energy throughout the 5k event was very high, which will continue to keep the momentum going at Allegheny College for future fundraising events. After kicking off a successful campaign in March 2007, Allegheny has raised enough funds for nearly 900 bed nets, and plans to keep fundraising.

As the leader of the “5k to Fight Malaria,” I was very pleased with the outcome of the 5k and I am dedicated to continue raising support and awareness for malaria prevention and need for bed nets. Thanks to all who participated and great job!