Posted on April 14, 2008
Marsh Fork Elementary is nestled between a coal cleaning plant and a dam where chemicals and coal waste run rampant. The Web site of Pennies of Promise, a grassroots campaign to bring attention to the Marsh Fork Elementary students affected by the neighboring coal plant in Coal River Valley, West Va., says the plant’s coal silo stands 225 feet away from the school.
According to Lara Mack, the race’s coordinator, Ed Wiley, the grandfather of a Marsh Fork Elementary graduate, noticed the problems the school’s location in Coal River Valley was causing after his granddaughter and many other students and teachers got sick with respiratory problems, among other health issues.
The distant mountains surrounding JMU served as a reminder of Marsh Fork to the runners who weaved their way through the East side of campus. During Sunday’s Tree Mile Run, a 5K race sponsored by Catholic Campus Ministry and EARTH Club, some of the 26 participants ran in honor of Earth Week. Others ran for Pennies of Promise. The rest of the runners came for exercise or with friends.
“We’re not only helping the environment with this race, but we’re also helping the people who live in the environment,” said Austin Farinholt, freshman communication studies major and member of CCM.
The race began at noon, and started on the Festival lawn. Each runner received an Earth Week T-shirt. Farinholt said they raised about $250 for Pennies of Promise through registration fees.
“We’ll still be really happy if this is all that comes,” Farinholt said during the registration period. “It’ll show us we can do it.”
The race was originally planned to be part CCM’s recent Social Justice week. However, it was rescheduled due to the Centennial Week celebrations.
“Both organizations, CCM and EARTH Club, are committed to similar values,” Mack said. “This jumps into those ideas really well then.”
Mack, a senior biology major, said Wiley knew he had to make a change. After facing bureaucratic obstacles, he created Pennies of Promise with the hope of raising approximately $6 million to build a new elementary school.
“Hearing their stories has kept us fighting,” Mack said. “People have gotten sick and it’s just continued. We want to raise money with this race, but also get the word out about this issue.”
Senior Brian Tynan used to run cross-country, but hasn’t participated in any races recently. However, he knew he needed to run this time.
“Ed Wiley is one of the people I have the utmost respect for,” Tynan said. “I’ve known him for a few years and talked to him about these issues. We want the kids at the school to be free of all this seriousness of the coal problems.”
He thought one of the best things that might come out of the race would be a new relationship between the two student organizations.
“I see the environment as my religion,” he said.
Teresa Nguyen, who will be a freshman in the fall, heard about the race after visiting CCM with her brother, senior Nhat Nguyen.
“I thought I’d get involved because I’m going here next year, and I thought this would be fun,”said Teresa, a senior at Northside High School in Roanoke, Va.
“She called me up and said she was running after she heard about this race,” Nhat said while helping at the event. “I think she was one of the first people to sign up. She really came to run though, not because she knew about Pennies of Promise.”
Joe Rudmin took first place in the race.
