tside of the Ralph S. O’Connor Recreation Center to take part in the 12th annual Blue Jay 5k benefiting the Lymphoma Research Foundation on Sunday. The student-run fundraiser was organized by the men’s and women’s track and field teams.
Both Hopkins affiliates and members of the Baltimore community participated in the event, which was open to the public. 204 people registered for the race.
Sophomore Colin O’Connor, a member of the men’s track and field team, was in charge of organizing the race along with Bobby Van Allen, the head coach. Members of both teams worked for months in advance of the event to obtain sponsorships from local businesses.
After track and field team member Rebecca Grande, class of 2015, passed away in 2012 from non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the teams chose the Lymphoma Research Foundation as the recipient of the event’s proceeds.
Many other Hopkins students also said they were eager to raise money for the teams’ cause.
“It’s an issue that touches everybody,” freshman Maria Wang, who participated in the 5k, wrote in an email to the The News-Letter.
Freshman Betta Hobbins, another participant, agreed.
“Personally, I don’t know anyone that has had lymphoma,” Hobbins said. “But any research that goes to cancer is important to me. I think it’s always a good cause.”
The event began with a warm-up at 9:15 a.m., and the race kicked off at 9:45 a.m. Several points on the course were flanked by members of the men’s and women’s track and field teams, who handed out water and cheered on the runners. After the race, some participants continued on a half-mile “fun run” around Homewood Field. At the end of the event, prizes were given to the top finishers in several age groups.
“I’m trying to be more active because I’ve gotten a lot less motivated as the school year has progressed,” Wang said. “One of my friends is on the track team and she heard about how I wanted to participate in a race but wasn’t ready for anything too intensive like a half marathon. She suggested I run the 5k the track team was hosting on campus.”
Overall, O’Connor was satisfied with the outcome of the fundraiser.
“[We had a] good turnout on a beautiful day,” O’Connor wrote in an email to The News-Letter.
Both the organizers of the 5k and many of the 204 runners who turned out on Sunday said they were looking forward to future races.
“I’m not a runner,” Wang wrote. “This was actually the first race I participated in, and I absolutely loved it.”
O’Connor said he was personally gratified by helping plan this year’s Blue Jay 5k.
“I love running and partaking in philanthropy,” he wrote. “When you can enjoy both at the same time, it’s a great feeling.”
