On the frosty morning of Nov. 12th, hundreds of current students, alumni, faculty, staff and Macon residents gathered for the 2011 version of the Homecoming 5K Road Run. Participants in the run were welcome to attend the Orange Pancake Breakfast that immediately follows the 5K run every year. All proceeds from the breakfast benefited the Muscular Dystrophy Association. According to Jill Boatright, a Quadworks representative, “The Pancake Breakfast is annual event for the runners, but is also open to anyone in the community. The Macon Fire Department offered their time to make the pancakes and sausage.” The events were an overall success.
The general opinion about both the 5K Road Run and the Orange Pancake Breakfast was that both events were a lot of fun. A few of the students who have participated for the past 3 years mentioned that the run went well. However, there was a slight disappointment among the students in attendance that there was not as grand a scale of Mercer school spirit like there was amongst the contestants last year. Last year, a few Mercer students got a team together to run the race. They painted up and stripped down to short-shorts for the run in order to get pumped up for the Men’s Homecoming game that afternoon. A few of the same students who painted up last year painted up again, but the weather was too cold to run the same way they ran last year. Despite the disappointment, there was an excitement about a contestant who carried her two-year old chihuahua as she ran the race.
The Pancake Breakfast took place on Porter Patch, the pancakes were good, and there was a good family-friendly, welcoming atmosphere. Families who participated in the event enjoyed pancakes. Other attendants brought their dogs and enjoyed socializing with friends and family. These two events prove to be a great way to get the community and past and present generations of Mercer together in the spirit of Homecoming weekend. Kimberly Campbell, Senior History Major, ran the event and also partook in the pancake breakfast. When asked her opinion of the pancake breakfast, Campbell said, “The pancake’s are not orange this year, that is a little sad. But they taste good, so that is a plus.” The others sitting at her table maintained the same sentiments.
Dr. Doug Pearson, Dean of Students, a regular participant with his children in this annual event came in first place in the Faculty and Staff division of the 5K run. When asked his opinion about the events, Pearson mentioned that it looked like everybody had a good time. There was a good level of attendance and a lot of friendly competition. Pearson also thought that the 5K Run was well coordinated, again, by Todd Thomas, Assistant Director of Recreational Sports and Wellness, and Rachel May, Director of Wellness. Pearson, reflecting on his experience of the event, could not “think of a better way to start the day of Homecoming.”
Annual Orange Pancake Breakfast supports charity
