It take support from the crowd to push a miler through the third lap of a big race. UNCW needs the same effort now from the North Carolina running community, and the stakes couldn't be higher.
If you've ever run the mile or watched a friend or loved one doing so, you know that the third lap is the toughest. The first 800 establishes you as a contender, but the third lap is when your willpower is truly tested. Anybody can kick it in hard on the final lap, but the one before it can take you out of the race if you're not careful and strong.
In many ways, the Save UNCW Track campaign just entered the third lap of their race, a race for the very life of the program. Earlier this school year, the university's athletic administration made the decision to cut the sport, arguably the school's most successful and one of the most important college running programs in the state (in terms of the number of NC high school athletes that are given the opportunity to continue their careers in college). An appeal to the university's board of directors opened the door for the program to be saved, but only if supporters can raise $250,000 by May 31st. As of today, the group is well over half of the way to that target with over $140,000 in hand.
Supporters of the program have organized a number of special events (a 5K run this Sunday, and a Belize vacation giveaway, for example), and optimism is high that the program can be continued for at least another year. Still, it will take a big push to bring this effort home, and the UNCW Track program needs support from the crowd now.
For more information on the campaign, or to donate:
- Visit the Save UNCW Track website.
- Like the Save UNCW Track Facebook page.