APO 5K raises money for wishes

Chris Labzda / senior photographer Alpha Phi Omega fraternity hosted a 5K run Saturday to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. About 25 people participated in the race.

Alpha Phi Omega fraternity held a 5K run to raise money for the Make-A- Wish Foundation on Saturday at 1 p.m.

This was the first 5K that APO has hosted, which consisted of the 25 participants who registered to run and more than 40 contributors. "Over half of the contributors were brothers and pledges from APO, and everyone showed that [Make-A -Wish Foundation] really meant a lot to them," Cicia said.

Junior Katya Jafari, a member of APO, said "this 5K wasn't just about JMU students running on a Sunday, but about promoting an important cause such as Make-A-Wish."

The course went around campus. It started and finished in the courtyard between the Skyline Residence Halls, Integrated Science and Technology/Health and Human Services Building, and the College Center.

"Running this race wasn't just a goal to raise money; it was a personal goal as well," said freshman Megan Westwood, a member of APO. She never had run a race before, so running three miles was her goal. "I feel confident that achieving my goal will also help in making a child's wish come true," she said.

According to Make-A-Wish Foundation's official Web site, www.wish.org, its mission is to "grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions and to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy."

"The local fund raisers like this 5K are bread and butter for us," said Terri Baines, director of wishes for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Eastern, Va. "We always rely heavily on what we call ‘outside' fund raisers — meaning events that are held on our behalf — but without a monetary investment on our part. The less money we have to spend to make money, the more money we are able to spend on making wishes come true. Make-A-Wish has always depended on the support of individuals to help spread the power of a wish, and an event like APO's 5K certainly does that."