Indoor 5K benefiting Habitat house

Participants will run through 3.1 miles of UVU’s hallways to benefit Habitat. Photo: Connor Allen/UVU Review

Saturday-morning students beware – the vast, interconnected hallways of UVU will be transformed into a 3.1-mile track on Feb. 25. The fourth annual No Snow Indoor 5K will commence at Center Stage in the Sorensen Center at 9 a.m., opening the campus’ corridors to more than 100 anticipated participants.

UVU Vice President for University Relations Val Hale, an avid runner, devised the event in 2009 in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity of Utah County. A Christian organization which, according to its website, provides “a hand up, not a handout” to people unable to afford a home, Habitat relies on donations to fund its projects. UVU’s Volunteer & Service-Learning Center subsidizes the event, freeing all the proceeds from ticket sales to the event to go toward Habitat’s current project: building a house for the Ashby family in Orem.

Participants may purchase tickets at Campus Connection or online at habitatuc.org for $10, or at 8 a.m. the day of the run/walk for $15. The 5K will begin at 9 a.m. from Center Stage and will offer both a stair and non-stair route.

Volunteer & Service-Learning Center Director Alexis Palmer expects a mix of students and community members at the 5K, citing it as a fun family function as well as a way for UVU to engage local neighborhoods.

“We like to see more community partners [participate] because it’s a great way to showcase our campus,” Palmer said.

After the run/walk, Jamba Juice will be on-hand donating oatmeal along with UVU’s Outdoor Adventure Center, which will be cooking pancakes for the fatigued joggers. Each participant will also receive a free t-shirt and an entry into a prize raffle.

UVU attempts to curb the number of participants around 150 to avoid trampling unsuspecting students, so register soon to ensure a place in the upcoming event.

By Deven Leigh Ellis
Asst. Life Editor