Scots Trot: 5k race to fight MD
By Charles Pratt
On Saturday, May 2 members of the Maryville College football team will hold the first annual “Scots Trot”, a 5k race to raise money for children battling Muscular Dystrophy.
Muscular Dystrophy, or MD, is a disease that causes weakness and loss of muscle. Those diagnosed with MD often lose the ability to walk and are hindered from everyday tasks.
The race will begin in front of the Clayton Center. Participants will make one lap around campus and another past the house in the woods, finishing at Honaker Field.
“We wanted to do something that would get both the campus and community involved,” freshman Blaise Chait said. “We also wanted to do something that would promote a healthy lifestyle and help the Muscular Dystrophy patients.”
To add an intimate touch to the race, a local MD patient named Seth will be invited to the event. The proceeds from the race will go to the local chapter of the Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, a nonprofit organization that supports Seth and others affected by MD.
“Seth’s family has always partnered with our football team, and we want to do something special for them,” junior Kent Minor said.
“We are excited to have Seth in attendance and have a good amount of people come out for him,” junior Austin Newton said. “We want to show that there are people fighting for him, and that people are here to support him.”
The organizers of this charity event say that the Scots Trot is simply a way support those less fortunate.
“My team and I have been blessed our whole lives to be able to play football, and have been very fortunate to have done the things that we have done,” Newton said. “We really want to give back and show our support for people who haven’t been able to experience the things that we have.”
The Scots Trot registration will be held at 8:00am on Saturday, May 2 in front of the Clayton Center, and the race will begin at 9:00 AM. A link to the registration form is located on mcscots.com as well as Twitter and Facebook; however, participants may register the day of the race as well. Runners are asked to make a $5.00 donation, and for those who may not be able to attend the race, there is also an opportunity to donate money through mcscots.com.