Wednesday evening volunteers gathered outside the Texas Tech Recreational Center to join in the 5K Family Fun Run sponsored by the Alpha Chi Omega sorority.
The 5K Family Fun Run served as a fundraiser to benefit Lubbock Family Counseling Services, a non-profit organization.
“We’re definitely trying to promote Family Counseling Services. They work with all students here at Tech and they do some Lubbock outreach as well,” said Alyssa Edstrom, senior public relations major and vice president of Alpha Chi Omega.
“Funds are always tight for non-profits and so we’re really trying to make sure that they’re getting the funds that they need to do whatever they need.”
Edstrom said her sorority is very involved in its own philanthropy with Women’s Protective Services of Lubbock, but they wanted to do something more for an organization that is helping the Tech community.
“We had done it in 2011 and we brought it back this year and we’re really trying to make it an annual event,” said Edstrom.
Ricky Sherfield is the unit coordinator for the Cross-Cultural Academic Advancement Center at Texas Tech. He also serves on the committee board for Family Counseling Services and helped organize the fundraiser.
“It’s been a wonderful experience helping coordinate it,” said Sherfield. “The purpose of it is a fundraiser that goes to Family Counseling Services. It’s probably our second biggest fundraiser.”
Registration for the 5K Family Fun Run was $20. Edstrom said they had a much greater turnout this year with an estimated 40 to 50 registered volunteers.
“With this being our second year we’ve seen tremendous growth with the walk,” said Sherfield. “A lot more students are coming and being a part of it and a lot of people from the Lubbock community have come out as well.”
While temperatures were in the lower fifties, Beth Zabilka, an industrial engineer major from Allen, Texas, and Alpha Chi Omega member, said they went well prepared to run in the cold.
“I was a little tired, but we powered through,” said Zabilka. “I’m so glad I did this run with my sisters. It was awesome.”
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