On Saturday, Oct. 5, the College of Pharmacy will be sponsoring “The Running Dead,” a zombie-themed fun-run, to raise money for their class of 2015.
The run will begin at Berryhill Park and follow the Searcy Bike Trail for 5 kilometers, or 3.1 miles.
Not only will the race feature flat terrain running, but several obstacles including a slip-n-slide, mud pit, tires and a hay maze.
At the start of the race, participants will be given five flags to place around their waist, each representing their health. All the while volunteers dressed as zombies will be attempting to take these flags from the runners. If a runner completes the race with a flag then they have “survived the Zombie Apocalypse.” If a participant loses all of their flags during the race, they can continue to the end but will not be considered “survivors.”
After the race a hay ride will take the runners back to Berryhill Park where entertainment, food and a silent auction with gift cards to raise further funds will be provided.
Pharmacy student Katie Patterson said the idea was inspired by the recent craze around the television show, “The Walking Dead.” With another 5K in town on the same day, the pharmacy students wanted something that would be unique and draw people’s attention rather than just an average fun run.
“We wanted something not so stressful,” Patterson said. “I think it was a good niche to hit and do something a little different.”
Junior Taylor Provencher said the unique nature of the race definitely piqued his interest.
“I don’t normally run in the races around town, but this sounded like such a unique and fun opportunity that it was hard to pass up,” Provencher said.
Patterson said the main reason for doing the race is to raise funds for the 2015 pharmacy class and to provide a gift to the college as well as pay for several service projects throughout the year and a final banquet for their class as well.
While gifts to the school in the past have included benches for the landscaping or large portraits for decoration, the 2015 class plans to set up an endowed scholarship so every year a scholarship in their name will be available for one pharmacy student.
“That’s what we really want to leave,” Patterson said. “Everybody loves to get a scholarship and so we would love to have that forever in our name.”
