Sophomore Silas Mann collaborated with St. Baldrick’s to organize a 5K at the Millbrook Exchange Park. St. Baldricks is a non-profit organization that funds research for pediatric cancer; they also donate money to hospitals, supportive care, and clinical trials. In the US, St. Baldrick’s is the leading foundation for care and research for pediatric cancer. Although the event took place on Sunday, February 13th, donations are still being accepted here. The goal was to raise $2500 through donations and people offering to cut their hair through St. Baldrick’s. 

   The inspiration for this event is personal to Silas. He says, “I got the idea for the 5k event when I was brainstorming project ideas for my personal project.” Silas typically grows his hair out to cut for St. Baldrick’s in honor of a family friend. This time, he wants to make a bigger impact than just his own hair. He says, “I want to raise money so that children can live a long and happy life without having to worry about cancer.” This event requires lots of time and preparation. Silas says, “The city of Raleigh and the official St. Baldrick’s are getting involved so this plan can come to fruition.” With 15 volunteers and approximately 45 people attending the event, Sophomore Ian Johnson says, “Silas definitely did a good job making sure he had enough volunteers. He would send us emails of what our duties were, and also did a good job of promoting it.” 

   Ian Johnson says, “I definitely saw a lot of familiar faces from the cross country team, so it was really cool to meet new people and see some other friends.” The Millbrook Exchange Park provides familiarity to the Millbrook cross-country runners making them feel encouraged to run. Overall, the event had a wonderful turnout and raised about $2,000 to be donated towards St. Baldrick’s.