Runners – both students and teachers – from three South Surrey high schools laced up their sneakers for a good cause Thursday afternoon and took part in the third annual Great Peninsula Race at South Surrey Athletic Park.
As in previous years, the relay event – in which teams of 10 went head to head to see who could run the most laps of the South Surrey track in an hour – brought a good-sized group of spectators to South Surrey Athletic Park, as fellow students, parents and even a pair of school mascots came by to show some school spirit and cheer on the runners.
The relay was a fundraiser for the local chapter of ACCES (African Canadian Children’s Education Society), which raises money for scholarships for young students in Kenya.
According to Tom Hastie, a local ACCES member and one of the event’s organizers, the three schools combined to raise over $4,500 for the cause – and that number is expected to grow this week, as donations continue to come in.
Among the three student-led teams, the Semiahmoo Totems ran the greatest distance in the one-hour period – 19.6 km – followed by Earl Marriott Secondary, at 18.4 km and Elgin Park at 16.4. Teachers got into the act, as well, with Semiahmoo teachers running a total of 16.4 km, Elgin Park teachers finishing with 15.5 and EMS at 14.4, Hastie said.
