Lovers of running and Lion Athletics were given a way to show support while doing something they love at the Lions Athletic Association (LAA) Green and Gold 5k.
LAA held the Green and Gold 5k and one-mile Fun Run event on Saturday, Oct. 20.
Both of these events took place on campus and competitors of all ages were welcome.
Although the event promoted health in the community, the main focus of the event was not to promote wellness, but instead to raise funds for the LAA. The LAA hopes to use the money to continue hosting events, build new structures and continue to give out athletic scholarships.
At this time, the LAA has three upcoming projects that are Broadcast media and web streaming capabilities, football video boards and comprehensive graphics and signage updates.
According to the LAA, the organization succeeded in gathering funds for these projects, despite the early time. There was an individual fee for both the races as well as pre-registration and on-the-spot registration upon arrival.
The one-mile Fun Run was held first. The participants of this event started just outside the field at Strawberry Stadium and ended by jogging through the tunnel and running across the field. Many young kids participated during this event along with their parents.
The male and female winners of the Fun Run were Mark and Becky Seale, a married couple from the Hammond area.
“I was not very competitive but jogged along to participate in the event and show my support, I had a great time,” said Bridget Bailey, a participant of the Fun Run.
The Green and Gold 5k run was the last event. The starting place was also at Strawberry Stadium and ended by running through the tunnel and running across the field. However, for this event, the participants took a much longer rout.
The male winner of this event was George Baxter III and the female winner was Ashley Pfautz.
“I participated in this event to show my support for LAA and to show the athletes that I can still do it,” said Brent Alfred, assistant track coach.
After the races, the LAA served food and drinks to everyone and handed out awards for overall winners of both races and best in age brackets.
For details on ways to donate to the LAA contact     Ashley Winning at 985-549-5226.