Students (grades five through nine) dressed up in costumes by advisory groups and contributed items as their “entry fee” to support the animals at Faithful Friends.

Head of Middle School Jon Huxtable reflected on the impact of the 5K, stating, “Through the 5K, students discover their own capacity to make a difference. As race workers, they serve. As donors, they give. As volunteers, planning committee members, and especially as runners, they learn to persevere and push through discomfort. And as spectators lining the course, their cheers and energy lift every runner around them. Each year, in the midst of one of the most demanding stretches of the school calendar, students and teachers alike dig deep to contribute to something joyous and worthy, a celebration of community and caring for others.”

“What remains constant, regardless of the beneficiary, is the gift at the heart of the event: a community that first rallied around a vision and now enthusiastically anticipates it each year. It is proof of what becomes possible when people come together, one foot in front of another, in service to something greater than themselves.”

This year’s event, organized by middle school faculty members John Hanson and Logan Goodwin, was another joyful chapter in a tradition that continues to bring together fun, purpose, and meaningful impact.