Running, volunteering, and/or donating at PCEF’s Running With Ed

Running With Ed participants of all ages dressed in costumes while doing the relay of the Park City School District schools and the Basin Rec Fieldhouse. Photo: Michele Roepke

PARK CITY, Utah — 1,200 runners participated in the Park City Education Foundation’s (PCEF) 13th annual Running With Ed. (RWE) relay race on Saturday. They ran relays among the Park City School District’s four elementary schools, middle school, junior high, and high school while starting and ending the race at the Basin Rec Fieldhouse.

Mostly sunny skies and a slight, consistent breeze delighted organizers, volunteers, and runners compared to the spring snowstorms with which they’ve had to contend in many previous years.

The priority of the day was less about getting the fastest time and more about raising the most money. Many categories were available to achieve the goal of raising $320,000. Heidi Donovan, PCEF Finance Manager told me, “Thanks to the whole community which really stepped it up this year, we were able to meet our goal today raising over $325,000, ensuring that we can fund the eight key initiatives for the next school year.”

The eight key initiatives are:

1. Preschool
2. Elementary Visual Arts 
3. Afterschool
4. STEM
5. Center For Advanced Professional Studies (PCCAPS)
6. Bright Futures
7. Classroom/Express Grants
8. Innovation Labs

The RWE Best Exchange Award went to:

• Parley’s Park Elementary School

The Top RWE Fundraiser Award went to:

• Christine Grenney from Grenney Real Estate who raised $31,000

The Top Student RWE Fundraiser Award went to:

• Trevor Shaw from Jeremy Ranch Elementary School who raised $4,000 which was twice his goal and proudly told me, “I did this when I was in 5th grade but in nine more school days I’m graduating elementary school and moving on to middle school.”

The Park City Mountain Vail Resorts Epic Promise Grants were awarded to the school with the highest participation:

1. First place – Trailside Elementary School
2. Second place – Jeremy Ranch Elementary School
3. Third place – McPolin Elementary School

The Best Costume Awards went to:

1. First place – The Cutties for their ice hockey uniforms
2. Second place – The McPolin Elementary School Zombies for their zombie costumes
3. Third place – Troup Beverly Hills/Park City for their Girl Scout uniforms

Olympic Announcer Carl Roepke was the announcer for RWE and the finish line party offered music, food, beverages, face painting, bounce houses, chair massages, t-shirts, and a photo booth, made available from some of the 34 local sponsors.

RWE is the largest of PCEF’s three annual fundraisers:

1. Running With Ed
2. Beat The Call
3. Red Apple Gala

Some of the clever team names included:

• Running From Rona
• bRUNching
• Not Fast, Just Furious
• Run Like The Winded
• Will Run For Snacks
• Run EMC

Multiple people ran the 26.4-mile race solo like Park City Ski and Snowboard (PCSS) Events Director and Mountain Trail Racer Pete Stoughton as well as three-time Cross Country Ski Olympian and PCSS Nordic Coach Liz Stephen. Saturday’s race saw teachers, staff, students, parents, and the community-at-large running, volunteering, and/or donating.