By Doug Petrowski
First-year Brier Terrace Middle School teacher and school Running Club advisor Ryan Treadway sure knows make an attention-grabbing challenge. He suggested the students in the club run down a volcano … and sure enough they did!
Treadway led the BTMS Running Club in the 5K Ash Kicker adventure run that took participants down a course on Mount St. Helens on May 18. The run, staged at the Toutle River RV Park, included “climbing over barriers, crawling through ice cold water, and getting down-right muddy,” Treadway said. Other obstacles for the participants included getting through pits of foam bubbles, sand and volcano ash.
The two fastest times recorded among all 800 female entrants at this year’s event were BTMS students Katherine Gustafson and Sophia Nelson, each completing the 5K adventure course in around 30 minutes.
The race is a fundraiser for the United Way of Cowlitz/Wahkiakum counties and attracted hundreds of adventure runners, some from as far away as Minnesota and West Virginia.
Ash Kicker 2013 is a fundraiser for Longview Parks & Recreation, Lower Columbia School Gardens, North County Recreation Association, Reading Is Fundamental of Cowlitz County, and Spencer’s HeartStrong Foundation. Ash Kicker is managed by the non-profit organization Bigfoot Community Events (BCE) whose mission is to leave a BIG footprint in the community by supporting, encouraging, and promoting projects and/or programs with a proven focus on education and/or physical health. Ryan, Rhonda and all the students did a wonderful job. Congratulations on taking home the trophy of Best Female Time. More information can be found at http://www.ashkicker.org Net proceeds from Ash Kicker 2013 will be awarded and announced by the end of this month.