Volleyball hosts 5k for the Miracle League of Macon

About 60 people ran in Mercer University Volleyball’s first ever 5k last weekend. The 5k raised money for the team and for Miracle League of Macon, an organization that gives children with disabilities the opportunity to play baseball.
In addition to being the first 5k that the team has hosted, it was the first fundraiser of its kind ever organized by the volleyball team.
The team has volunteered multiple times with Miracle League.
“In the spring, every weekend, the Miracle League hosts games for children with disabilities,” said Caroline Carlton. Carlton is a member of the volleyball team and helped organize the 5k. “Different groups and organizations come out weekly and buddy up with a player. Each evening everyone hits, and everyone makes it around the bases. We don’t keep score, and everyone wins.”
Carlton said that, in addition to the 60 runners, there was a large crowd of supporters and alumni—a great turnout for a first-time event.
“The weekend as a whole was probably the most successful weekend in program history,” said Carlton. In addition to hosting the 5k, the team won three of its four games.
The money that does not go toward Miracle League will help pay for operational expenses like traveling and gear.
Although the 5k competed against the Cherry Blossom Festival for participants and spectators, Carlton said that the race was successful. Fifty-six runners signed up although not all of them showed up.
Carlton said that additional runners signed up on the day of the event.
“Planning the event was definitely stressful,” said Carlton, “especially because when we decided two months ago we were doing [the 5k], we had no idea what was involved.”
Finding sponsors and volunteers was the most difficult part of the planning process, she said.
As of Monday, the team had not finished counting the money that it had raised. “But we were definitely profitable,” said Carlton.
The runners ran a course on Mercer’s campus, and Ryan Crawford won first place.