3rd Annual Scholarship Fun Run A Success

Starting bright and early at 8 a.m., over 80 Colton community members, students, parents, and active runners gathered at Cooley Ranch Elementary School to start the 3.1 mile-long journey of this year's 3rd Annual Scholarship 5K Fun Run, hosted recently by the Kiwanis Club of Cooley Ranch. The registration for adults was only $25, while students and challenged athletes were only $10. All the participants who pre-registered received a 2015 Fun Run Event T-shirt and commemorative medal. All proceeds, like every year, from the Fun Run event directly benefited students graduating from Colton, Grand Terrace and Bloomington high schools in the form of scholarships. Although there were about 50 more participants the year before, according to event coordinator Debora Budde, the non-profit club still managed to fundraise over $1,000 for each school. Budde explained that all the money raised is donated to each of the three schools, and it is then up to school administration to decide how the funds are dispersed and to whom they are distributed. “Sometimes they split it up and give it more than one student,” Budde said. Despite a slightly lower attendance count this year, Budde shared she's still counting the event as a success. “Even though we had more participants last year (2nd annual), we still had more than the first year. It was a great turn out,” Budde shared, explaining that she believes the decrease in attendance was due to one of the high school’s cross country or track team participating in another competition that day. The route, estimated at about 3.1 miles, started at the front of Cooley Ranch Elementary School, located at 1000 South Cooley Street in Colton, and the finish line was right back where everyone started. The pathway was kid-friendly; the route went smoothly along pine and palms trees of Cooley Drive that hopefully provided everyone with temporary shades and cool breezes. There were people running, walking, rolling, and even parents with their strollers. The path was designed this smoothly intentionally for those in wheelchairs, those who wanted to push a stroller, and those who wanted to roller-skate, as well. “It was a perfect day for the run,” Budde said.