Members of the District 105 community, including Seventh Avenue, Spring Avenue, Ideal School and Hodgkins School, will be hosting its first ever race on Sunday May 17, the D105 Dash, in an effort to raise money for the four elementary schools.

“We were hoping to have at least 250 runners [or] walkers for the event,” planning committee member Michelle Meuer said. “As of [April 28] we had close to 200 and anticipate going over 250. We all think this is fantastic. This is our inaugural race, so we did not know what to expect. We were certainly hoping that between four elementary schools and one middle school we could get this many, but we were never sure.”

The inspiration came from Stacy Hayes, a member of the Seventh Avenue school district and fellow runner herself.

“My inspiration for the D105 Dash came from different places,” Hayes said. “As I became more active in the schools through PTO and my children’s activities, I began thinking of ways to combine my passion for running and my passion for education. I thought using a 5K race as a fundraising vehicle for the district would mirror so many of D105’s goals: strengthening communities, living healthy lifestyles, bringing families together and supporting a strong learning environment.”

The D105 Dash will take place in the Spring Avenue neighborhood, and will start and end in front of the school. The event will offer an official, chip-timed 5K for the more serious runners and also a child and family friendly 1.5 mile walk.

“My hopes for the D105 Dash are for families to come together, meet their children’s friends, families and teachers, build relationships within their community and most importantly, have fun participating in a healthy activity,” Hayes said.

The D105 Dash is expected to have a large impact on the schools through fundraising. The funds generated will be split by the parent-teacher organizations of the four schools and the money will go towards school improvement.

“There are many ways an event like the D105 DASH can benefit our schools and students,” Hayes said. “Of course the immediate benefit is physical fitness awareness. Building relationships with families within home schools is important, but reaching out to other families within the district only strengthens the community of learning as our students come together in middle school and high school. The financial benefits to our schools will provide our students to have access to supplemental learning opportunities.”