Physical therapy run supports department scholarship

The scholarship run celebrated its largest turnout.

By Lakeisha Williams

Published Sept. 22, 2008

On Saturday, runners took their mark to support a scholarship fund. About 220 people participated in a run/walk for the physical therapy department.

"We had the largest amount of participants in the history of this race," said Ann Stoverink, a graduate student who is studying physical therapy.

Stoverink volunteered and participated in orchestrating the event.

The run took place from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. on the MKT Nature/Fitness Trail. Race participants checked in at Lewis Hall, were escorted to the trail and returned at the end of the race.

After the run/walk, participants and spectators gathered in the courtyard behind Lewis Hall where first place and door prizes were awarded. The event coordinators also sponsored a raffle and a lunch.

"We got sponsors from all over Columbia, and a few from St. Louis, and got donations from places like McDonald's and Coca-Cola and local physical therapy clinics," Stovernik said. "We did a lot of advertising all around Columbia and Jefferson City, trying to get everyone involved."

The run is a fundraising event created by Carmen Abbott, said Amanda Foresman, a physical therapy graduate student who contributed to the fundraiser by registering participants. Abbott created the race to promote the memory of two physical therapy students, Christopher Griffith and Stacey Bragg.

"The two lost their lives in separate, fatal and unfortunate events," Foresman said.

The event is conducted in support of a scholarship fund given by the physical therapy department to physical therapy graduate students. The award recipient is nominated by a member of the department's faculty, and receives the scholarship in the concluding spring semester of their third year.