The BG News

Issue date: 4/21/08 Section: Campus

Media Credit: Gina Potthoff HITTING THE PAVEMENT: Participants in the Seventh Annual BGSU-Kenya 5K Benefit Run race around campus Saturday to raise money for HIV and AIDS awareness overseas.

People of all ages turned out for the Seventh Annual BGSU-Kenya 5K Benefit Run Saturday at 10 a.m. in support of HIV and AIDS awareness.

The "Race Against AIDS," which started and ended behind the University ice arena, took nearly 200 runners all through campus on a course just over three miles.

Students paid $15 and non-students paid $20 to run or walk in the race and received a free T-shirt.

Obed Ombongi, a senior and director of this year's BGSU-Kenya 5K Run, said the event makes a big difference because AIDS is rampant in Kenya, and raising awareness in the United States is important for the cause.

This year's 5K Benefit Run raised $3,500 for AIDS awareness.

Youth Vision International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering youth in the U.S. and Kenya, channels the raised funds into Kenya to provide books, magazines and other items with AIDS information at no cost to Kenyans.

Freshman Jason Dehm had been looking forward to doing a run this year.

"Kenya is a good cause," he said.

Troy Schultz, 11, finished the race first with a time just over 18 minutes.

Schultz said he runs three miles three or four times a week for fun and his race time was a new personal record.

"My dad used to go here, so it was nice to see the campus," he said.

Schultz had never run the 5K Benefit Run before, and he said helping Kenya was a great reason to come out.

Schultz received two authentic African wood carvings for finishing first.

The age brackets determined prizes given with ages 1-15, 15-25, 25-35, 35-45 and 45 and over.

The first three participants in each age bracket received medallions and all the runners will be receiving certificates within the next two weeks, Ombongi said.

Senior Matt Deters came in fourth, which was slightly better than his fifth place finish last year.

He said the weather was great and brought back memories of high school track because it was a really good run.

"I'll be running again next year," Deters said.

Erik Dupont, a University alumnus and community resident whose run was sponsored by local business Mr. Spots, finished third and also plans to run again next year.

"Everybody's out here to have a good time," Dupont said.

"In 10 years to come, we expect to have tens of thousands of runners," Ombongi said, "because it keeps growing each year."

People wanting to make donations to the BGSU-Kenya 5K Run organization can still do so because the organization is collecting year-round.

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