State Rep. Paul DeWeese held a loudspeaker up to his mouth as 165 runners, walkers and skaters awaited his signal.
Kappa Delta and Child Abuse Prevention Services hosted the 19th annual Shamrock Event at 9:45 a.m. Sunday.
The 5K route started outside of IM Sports-West and followed the Red Cedar River to the east side of campus and back.
About $1,500 was raised with 80 percent of the funds being used in local CAPS chapters and the rest used nationally.
“We have had a wonderful turnout,” said Keri Keck, parent aide coordinator for CAPS. “Even though the weather is colder than we hoped.”
Joe Mescher and Scott Creighton bundled up in hats and layers of clothing to battle the weather.
“We’re running, well at least we are going to try,” said Mescher, a political theory and constitutional democracy sophomore. “We might fall down.”
Creighton, a computer science sophomore, said the race was a good way to stay in shape and get exercise.
“Plus we’re crazy,” he said.
DeWeese, a Williamston Republican, signaled the start of the event and said he attended because it is a positive community activity.
“We have a dietary pattern that just is really unhealthy,” he said. “We need a culture that promotes physical activity and this promotes that in a fun way.”
This is the first time Kappa Delta has co-sponsored the event.
“We donate to CAPS every year,” merchandising management senior Leigh Ann Hindelang said. “But they weren’t going to have the walk this year because of lack of sponsors so we volunteered to host it.”
Child Abuse Prevention Services, 119 Pere Marquette Drive in Lansing, provides a drop-in day care program, parent education, preschool classes, planned parenthood classes and workshops.
“Child abuse and prevention services really does do an incredible amount of good in our community,” DeWeese said. “They have a lot of programs that intervene early on to address the issues that lead to child abuse, such as parental stresses.
“So often as an emergency room physician I see the result of child abuse, so I’m very much aware from my experience as a doctor of how much prevention is needed.”
