Six current and former staff members of the Tusculum College TRIO programs participated in a recent Warrior Dash 5-K in Kentucky to promote the mission of the educational programs and raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
The Warrior Dash, which is called “The World’s Largest Obstacle Race Series,” is a periodic event held across various sites across the United States. The TRIO staff members participated in a race on Aug. 9 in Versailles, Ky., near Lexington.
The event consists of a 3.4-mile run through a wooded, rural area that includes a minimum of 12 obstacles that participants must complete. Obstacles include coals of fire that runner must jump, a 15-foot climbing wall and a barbed-wire covered 12-foot mud trough through which participants must navigate on their hands and knees.
Warrior Dash entrants may participate as individuals or part of a team. The TRIO program staff, wearing matching blue “Tusculum” shirts, opted to finish the race as a team. Their focus was raising awareness of TRIO Programs as well as promoting teamwork and wellness. Tusculum College hosts three educational programs funded by the U.S. Department of Education under Federal TRIO programs, Student Support Services, Talent Search and Upward Bound. Although the programs differ in terms of the specific services they provide, all target first generation and low income students who have the skills and motivation necessary to graduate from high school and successfully enter and/or complete college.
The event also supported the Tusculum College and TRIO mission of civic engagement as participants were encouraged to raise money to benefit St. Jude in addition to the entrance fees that were donated to St. Jude. In addition, participants are encouraged at the conclusion of the race to donate their soiled running shoes to be recycled and/or refurbished.
The group plans to participate in another Warrior Dash next spring in Charlotte, N.C.
A Tusculum College TRIO programs team participated in a recent Warrior Dash 5-K obstacle race in Kentucky. The team included, from left, David Smith, director of Student Support Services; Wesley Greear, associate director of Talent Search; Jeanne Stokes, director of TRIO Programs; Sarah Gardner, associate director and counselor for Student Support Services; Chuck Sutton, Upward Bound advisor; Jordan Reams, Talent Search advisor, and John Davison, former Upward Bound counselor and professor at Northeast State Community College.