By Olivia Seecof
Writer
Habitat for Humanity raised $400 in its first 5K on March 31, which will be put toward the club’s ultimate goal of collecting $20,000 to build a Habitat home for a local community member. The first-place finisher was JJ Parker ’12, the previous club president, and the top female finisher was Mallory Smith ’12. The course ran throughout downtown Lewisburg and finished in Hufnagle Park.
“For Habitat for Humanity’s first annual 5K, the event went well. We had a great turnout despite the weather and look forward to having a second annual race next year,” club president Lauren DelloStritto ’14 said.
“Overall, I was really excited to see how many Habitat club members were willing to help organize the event. It was early on Saturday, but we had a lot of help from our club members that allowed the race to run smoothly,” Parker said.
Volunteers from the University’s Habitat for Humanity club served as timers and traffic directors.
“Although the weather didn’t cooperate, the 5K run was an overall success because it provided a great way for our club to get more involved in the community,” club member Jennie Means ’14 said.
The Susquehanna University Habitat for Humanity club also volunteered at the event and made pancakes for the race finishers. The University’s Habitat wanted to get Susquehanna involved because they are working together to build houses in Snyder and Union counties.
“We wanted get closer with them and develop a more community atmosphere,” said Kristina Mammano ’14, an executive member of the club.
“It was great to involve Susquehanna because their help will ultimately allow us to raise more money to build more houses,” Means said.
The University’s Habitat usually has two fundraisers per year: Trick or Treat for Change in the fall, and the Rubber Duck Derby in the spring. This 5K run is something the club hopes to continue in the future.
“What I am most excited for is doing this fundraiser again next year, but my goals for next year are to have better weather–although running in the rain is always fun–and to get the Lewisburg community more involved,” Mammano said.