As the Kiwanis Club of Ooltewah-Collegedale gears up for its 14th annual 5k race in April, club members are also celebrating a new beneficiary: the Ooltewah Harrison Education Foundation.
Also referred to as D9, for the name of the school district the foundation seeks to support, the nonprofit is currently working to outfit Harrison Elementary School with new technology to assist in improving literacy. And that was a mission the Kiwanis knew they wanted to get behind and help fund, said race chairman and Kiwanis member Roger Qualey.
"The Kiwanis' mission is that young kids are priority No. 1, and this gave us a chance to work with the young kids in our area," he said. "It really brought it home, so to speak, for our geographical area, to be able to have that kind of direct impact on the schools."
Earlier this month, D9 announced to rising third-graders at Harrison Elementary that each of them would be given an iPad for the school year. The portion of the money needed which was not covered by a $20,000 grant will be funded through donations from the upcoming 5k race, Qualey explained.
The race itself will take place April 17 at 2 p.m., with day-of registration at 12:30 p.m. A walking 5k and a KiddieK will also be offered.
Participants who sign up by March 31 will receive a discount as well as a guaranteed shirt on race day.
"This will have a direct impact on students' ability to read," Qualey said of the race's chosen beneficiary. "It just helps with their overall enrichment and allows D9 to make that difference in the community."
For more information or to register for the race, visit kiwanisoc.com. Anyone interested in volunteering for the race can contact Qualey at 308-2180 or rqualey@fsgbank.com.