Jill Behrman Run for the Endzone slated for Saturday

This Saturday over a 1,000 runners and walkers are expected to gather at Mellencamp Pavilion to remember missing IU student, Jill Behrman, and raise money for two important causes -- the Jill Behrman Emerging Leader Scholarship and Jill's House. \nThe Jill Behrman Run for the End Zone is a 5K run/walk or one-mile walk that has been put on for the past three years by the IU Division of Recreational Sports. \n"Jill Behrman was an IU student and employee of the Division of Recreational Sports when she went missing," said Joanne Orrange, assistant director of special events for the Division of Recreational Sports. "The Division of Recreational Sports decided to join the event to allow the entire community a chance to show support for the Behrman family and to raise awareness of their daughter's disappearance."\nThousands of Bloomington residents and IU students come out to participate in this event. The festivities will begin at 8:30 a.m. this year with check-in and on-site registration. The 5K run/walk will kick off at 10 a.m. followed by one-mile walk at 10:10 a.m, according to the Jill Behrman Run for the Endzone Web site.\nThis Saturday's event will also include live music by The Dew Daddies, a safety and wellness fair and a massage therapy session. Awards will be handed out to the overall male and female winner as well as the top male and female winners in each age division. Groups of ten or more, who registered as a team, are eligible to win the most creatively attired award. All those involved with the event are hoping this year's run/walk will be even bigger than last year's event.\n"It would be awesome to see all of Mellencamp Pavilion packed full of participants before the race starts, as well as participants taking advantage of all the great things that will be offered at the safety fair," said Mandy Madden, a friend of Jill's and a student involved with planning this year's event. "Seeing all the participants coming together gives me greater hope that the community and campus hasn't forgot about Jill." \nLast year the event raised over $12,000. All the proceeds are split between the Jill Behrman Emerging Leader Scholarship and Jill's House. \nThe Jill Behrman Emerging Leader Scholarship is awarded each year to a student involved in the Division of Recreational Sports who demonstrates scholastic achievement character, initiative, passion, ethical values and is willing to go beyond expectations. Jill's House is a residence center for patients who are currently undergoing outpatient therapy at IU Proton Therapy facility. \n"Knowing that each one of the participants made a contribution is satisfying as they will be making a difference in someone else's life," Madden said. \nA volunteer committee has been working to organize this event since last spring. \nOrganizers are still looking for volunteers to help with race day events. \n"Jill Behrman Run for the End Zone would not exist in the capacity it currently is without the help of volunteers," Orrange said.\nTheir goal is to have 150 to 200 volunteers at the race.\n"We are at roughly the 70 percent rate of our volunteer goal," Orrange said. Organizers are planning to hold one more volunteer orientation meeting for anyone that is interested. The meeting will take place this Wednesday at 9 p.m. in the SRSC Auditorium. \nMadden said volunteers are essential to help the event run smoothly.\n"The day of the event we utilize volunteers in every aspect from registration, T-shirt pick up, set-up, tear-down, course monitors, hospitality, food areas, and the expanded safety/wellness fair," Orrange said. "The volunteers are all over the place helping out where ever we need help"