5K run benefits Prevent Child Abuse America

With temperatures reaching higher than 70 degrees and IU men’s a capella group Straight No Chaser singing the national anthem, sorority members said Kappa Delta’s second annual Shamrock 5K Run could not have been off to a better start on Saturday.

More than 300 people registered to run before the day of the race, which beat the total of people registered last year. Totals for how much money was raised will not be available for another week, members of the sorority said.

“A lot more people came this year,” said Megan Resig, Kappa Delta member and Shamrock chair. “We had 300 people pre-register, so we were already expecting a really good turnout.”

Members of the IU and Bloomington community gathered at Memorial Stadium to participate in the run and other activities at the event. Throughout the day, participants were able to enjoy music from DJ Wild Child and a dance performance from IU’s
IDentity Irish Dancers.

“We started planning for this event three months ago,” Resig said. “We had to make sure everything would come together perfectly, and it has, especially with the weather.”

Many other greek houses were mixed in the crowd, showing their support for raising money and awareness for child abuse. All the proceeds from the event went to Prevent Child Abuse America, Kappa Delta’s national philanthropy.

“This is for a really good cause,” said participant and Alpha Gamma Delta member Kara Malone. “Having this event is a good way to get people together and involved in other fraternities’ and sororities’ philanthropies.”

Though the total proceeds earned from the event are not yet finalized, Resig said she believes it will exceed the $5,000 Kappa Delta earned last year. A representative for Prevent Child Abuse America was present at the event and said she witnessed the enthusiasm the sorority showed toward raising money for the cause.

“As soon as I got here, I saw the energy everyone had and was just delighted,” said Mary Armstrong-Smith, community partners director for Prevent Child Abuse Indiana, the charter state chapter. “The people here could have been doing anything else on this beautiful Saturday morning, but they came here to support such a great cause. I love that so much.”

The sorority members said they hope that in the upcoming years, they would like to
see even more participants.

“I hope to see more of a campus involvement next year,” said sophomore and Kappa Delta member Laurence Cormier. “We want to be able to spread the word to the student body more.”