On Saturday Feb 8 the Physical Education and Kinesiology Club hosted the 11th annual charity run/walk at California State University, Bakersfield. Students and community members in the community from different age groups were encouraged to be involved. Approximately 380 people registered for the run. Participants had the option to run the 5k or 10k. In order to include everyone the age groups ranged from as low as seven to 70. Participants were divided into different age groups. Speed agility is what determined the winners in each group.
In order to raise money for the PEAK Club there was an entry fee of $22 and $25 for people who registered the day of. The race began at 9 a.m. and registration was held from 7 to 8:30 a.m. Participants began their run at the Icardo Center and ran throughout campus. The proceeds will go to help PEAK majors participate in events such as the California Association of Health.
To make the run accessible to parents there was a Children’s Activity Program available to care for kids ages 6-11. Many kids in this age group also participated. Maria Luna ran in the age group 10 and under and she placed first in her age group. She was one of the many children who took the challenge of participating in the 5k run.
The overall winners in the 5k run were Scott Van Matre with a time of 17:37, and Anna Frank with a time of 18:20. CSUB Alumna and PEAK graduate Andrea Valdez placed first in the women’s 10K division with a time of 47:21. She is currently participating in runs in order to train for a full marathon and Tuff Mudder. Valdez has always maintained active but a very special person has motivated her lately “My grandpa died recently, I did this run for him,” said Valdez.
Junior Thomas Xiong, a CSUB student, used the Valentine’s Day Run as an opportunity to participate in his first 5K run. “I prepared for this race by staying active. Every day after class I would hit the CSUB Recreation Room. This has helped me stay healthy and run the 5k,” said Xiong. As a nursing major and PEAK minor Xiong felt the need to contribute to the cause. Fellow PEAK classmates also participated “Shout out to Xuan and Mai! They were great race buddies. Never did they leave my side when I had to take a breather,” said Xiong.
Dr. Moffit the PEAK Club director hosted the event he captivated the participants with his sense of humor. It was evident everyone had a great time. After the race winners were announced and a raffle took place. Csub attire, supplements, movie tickets, Color Me Rad tickets, and wine were all given away. The crowd was quite excited for the wine. All prizes were donated from clubs on campus. Dr. Moffit believed the event was a success and he emphasized one of the purposes of the event , “Physical activity is very important, people in the community need to better their lifestyle,” said Moffit.
