By GRACIE LEAVITT
The Progress
A 5K fun run event was held on Saturday, Dec. 4, to help raise money for a good cause. Called The Jingle Jog, this holiday-themed event. The run which involved a course of just over three miles, had its starting point at the Grant M. Bowler Elementary School parking lot.
Many of those participating in the run were students at Moapa Valley High School who are also on the school’s cross country team. Others were local residents who contributed to the community in their own way. Even Santa showed up to run in the race.
The event was organized by the Teenage Leadership Corps (TLC), Moapa Valley Community Education Advisory Board and the local 4-H. Student members of the MVHS National Honor Society volunteered at the registration table and at water stations along the race route.
Local Parks and Recreation provided cupcakes for the volunteers. They also awarded a Christmas ham for any runners who were able to catch a bell from the running Santa.
Awards were given as first, second and third place in three different categories according to age. There were also three medals given for honorable mention, those who might’ve helped in service or went out of their way to push themselves..
The entry fee for the race was $10 per individual. But if participants brought a canned food item then the fee was reduced to $5.
MVHS junior Ethan Witter won second place in the high school age division gave his input on the event. “I enjoyed it,” he said. “I just got to sit back and walk.”
Witter said that he was excited for TLC’s upcoming events for which the event was raising funds.
Local 4-H coordinator and TLC Advisor Dianna Walker talked about the process and purpose of the Jingle Jog event. She said th at it had been several months in the planning.
“The Teen Leadership Corps, which addresses mental health issues in the community, has decided to address the topic of pornography and its dangers to the community,” she said. “We are raising money to try and get the Fight The New Drug organization to come and present to our local students.
Fight The New Drug is a group that gives presentations to youth and communities about the dangers of pornography.
“We want to have them do assemblies at the school and give a presentation to the community, just like we did with the Mental Health Resource Fair in September,” Walker said.
We appreciate everyone who has came to support (this effort),” Walker added. “These kids are awesome and they planned everything. I was so proud of them.”
The TLC is hoping to raise a total of $3,000 to make this event possible. For more information on how to contribute, contact MVCEAB President Wendy Mulcock at 702-353-7451 or Dianna Walker at 702-556-7845.
