Dayton 24/7 Now: Wright State Campus Recreation raises funds for students with Driveway 5K

Excerpt

Erin Sherrets, manager of the Outdoor Recreation Program, and other Campus Recreation organized the Driveway 5K to raise funds for students in need and honor members of the class of 2020.

Schools across the country are looking for ways to honor graduating seniors after the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic prevented them from celebrating their final year of school. Wright State University Office of Campus Recreation organized a Driveway 5K to raise funds for students and to honor the class of 2020.

Around 150 alumni, faculty, and staff were attracted to the event, where they jogged through local neighborhoods, walked around campus, hiked on outdoor trails, and cycled in driveways. Close to $3,730 was raised to help support students during the pandemic, providing financial assistance in order to buy food, toiletries, medications, and other supplies and travel expenses to return home. Participants competed from 11 states: Ohio, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

“I was completely overwhelmed with the amount of participation from our community,” said Erin Sherrets, manager of the Outdoor Recreation Program. “It just goes to show what a supportive and caring community we have here at Wright State.”

The 5K fundraiser was inspired by a man in England who ran a marathon in his backyard. Campus Recreation staff pulled from his example to create a fundraiser that promotes healthy habits and helps connect Wright state community members who are staying at home.

“We feel that encouraging people to utilize their own spaces to stay healthy is a really important message during this time,” Sherrets said. “So, we came up with the Driveway 5K as an opportunity to raise money for students affected by the crisis and also encourage people to connect through recreation.”

The Driveway 5K was held on May 2, the date of Wright State’s postponed spring commencement ceremony, and was intended to also honor graduating students. Billy Willis, the program director of Campus Recreation commented on it, saying tat while it’s not the same as a commencement ceremony, it was the least they could do.

Those who participated were encouraged to show their Raider spirit by wearing Wright State colors and posting photos or videos of their workouts on social media.

“Our social media feeds were just full of Green and Gold,” Willis said. “I was able to interact with so many alumni, staff and faculty through this,” he added. “It was great to see how amazing our Raider community is.”

View the original story at dayton247now.com