Decatur Times

The Calhoun Community College Fine Arts Department is excited to announce its inaugural ‘Cheezy 5K Run’ fundraiser to help financially support its theatre students who are traveling to Edinburg, Scotland to participate in the 2023 International Collegiate Theatre Festival. The run will be held this Saturday, January 28 on Calhoun’s Decatur campus beginning at the Health Sciences Building. Check-in for participants opens at 8:00 a.m., with the race starting at 9:00 a.m. through 11:00 a.m. Registration is $25 per runner.

“What better way to shed some extra weight after enjoying the great ‘cheezy’ dishes many of us prepared during the holidays, than by participating in a 5K run! And one that will benefit students who are raising money for their Scotland trip to enhance their studies in the arts is even more rewarding,” commented Jacki Vadney, Calhoun fine arts instructor.

The idea for the run was a collaboration between students who are currently enrolled in various art programs at Calhoun’s Alabama Center for the Arts (ACA) in Downtown Decatur and their professors, to raise money for the study-abroad trip. The students have worked extremely hard by hosting bake sales and other fundraisers to help with travel expenses. “Although we aren’t a large institution with an international program or sponsors/donations who financially support such international study experiences for our students, this is something our faculty and staff feel is extremely important, and are taking the necessary steps to get creative and make this dream a reality,” added Vadney.

The International College Theatre Festival ICTF) will be held in August and is the largest performing arts festival in the world. This festival provides an opportunity for collegiate performing arts programs to showcase their productions on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe world stage. For more than twenty years, select performing arts programs have been given this opportunity to perform and gain global perspectives. “This is the level of quality training in the arts we strive to offer our students who have enrolled at the Alabama Center for the Arts,” commented Dr. Jimmy Hodges, Calhoun President. “Our art students have graduated and gone on to star in television shows, Broadway, and Hollywood movies, as well as becoming Grammy award-winning artists, and for that, we couldn’t be more proud of the educational training we provide at the ACA.

The 2-week experience will allow students to tour Edinburg and immerse themselves in the Scottish culture; experiencing food, music, theatre, dance, history and so much more.

The public is encouraged to participate, and as an added benefit, they can get back into shape while helping Calhoun transform its student’s educational experiences. The first 75 participants will receive swag bags. Registration includes a bib, a completion medal, and a supported run course. There will be two aid stations positioned along the course. The route covers relatively flat terrain, and will also be timed for completion. Awards will also be given to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd winners for both men and women participants. All proceeds from this event will go towards the traveling expenses associated with the students’ ICTF Edinburg, Scotland Trip.

Pre-registration is encouraged but is not required. Visit Calhoun.edu/cheezy5k to register.

For specific information about the race, contact Jacki Vadney at Jacki.Vadney@calhoun.edu or 256-306-2703.

Original source can be found here.