As MSU and University of Michigan fans gear up for this weekend’s rivalry and get ready to cheer for their team on the field, others are coming together to start a new tradition.
Early this morning, a team of ROTC cadets from the Spartan Battalion and the Wolverine Battalion set out with Playmakers’ ultimate marathon runner Michael Richmond on a 64-mile run from the Big House in Ann Arbor to Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, carrying the game ball.
"When I went to the ROTC to see if they were interested, they said, 'No problem. When can we do it?'" said Scott Westerman, associate vice president for alumni relations and executive director for the MSU Alumni Association.
MSU Athletic Director Mark Hollis will receive the ball around 3:30 p.m. at the Demonstration Hall field.
This new tradition, known as Alex’s Great State Race, is being held in memory of former Spartan Alex Powell, who was diagnosed with a rare aggressive cancer. His dream was to become a Spartan and MSU's Resource Center for Persons With Disabilities made that possible.
Powell started at MSU in 2010 and passed away on May 8, 2011.
His family was inspired by the support RCPD gives MSU students with disabilities and wanted to give back to the organization that gave so much time and energy to their own son. Today's race will serve as a fundraiser for MSU's RCPD and U-M's Services for Students with Disabilities.
Westerman said Alex's Great State Race is an event surrounding game day that both schools can be proud of.
"It's two schools coming together that have their own strengths, but both want everyone to be able to have the experience of an education," Westerman said. "I can see this tradition taking place for the next 50 years or more."
To learn more about the race or make a donation, individuals can visit alex.rcpd.msu.edu.
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