By Holly Desrosier
Craven Community College’s (Craven CC) Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Club will host Panther Prowl, a racing event to benefit many local organizations, on Saturday, March 9. The event includes a one-mile Panther Pounce Fun Run/Walk beginning at 9 a.m. and the Panther Prowl 5K at 9:30 a.m.
Runners and walkers will enjoy a flat, paved course that will loop around the Craven CC New Bern Campus and Greenbrier neighborhood. Strollers are welcome for the one-mile Panther Pounce. No need to be an athlete: Whether individuals are new to running or experienced and looking to set a personal record, everyone is invited to come support a great cause.
All proceeds from the races will serve as a fundraiser for the Special Olympics, Shriners and Craven CC’s PTA Club. It will also support Students 4 Students, a new Craven CC Foundation scholarship initiative for which student-run clubs hosting fundraising events are encouraged to set aside a percentage of monies earned to assist fellow students in financial need.
“The Special Olympics of Craven County and the Shriner’s Hospital for Children serve our patients in our communities, so the PTA Club wanted to find a way to raise funds for these worthy causes and they decided on hosting a 5K race,” said Dr. Dan Friedlander, PTA program coordinator and faculty. “Since it has not been done before by any club on campus, they have been trailblazers for the entire process.”
Brittany Foy, Craven CC PTA program student and vice president of the PTA Club, played a pivotal part in organizing the Panther Prowl.
“My team and I have worked so hard on trying to get sponsors from the community, as well as reaching out to other parts of Eastern North Carolina,” she said. “Because of our future professions, we really wanted to do something that would bring the community together and encourage movement, health and wellness. We are hoping for a very successful event and would love to see everyone there.”
Craven CC’s nationally accredited PTA program is comprised of a demanding five semesters with two full-time, six-week clinical internships. Students examine systems of the body, learning how each pathology effects each system and, in turn, how it will effect a patient’s function. The course also covers what PTAs can do to optimize functioning for each patient, such as helping someone get back to normal daily activities or getting an athlete back on the field—or running a 5K!
Registration for the Panther Prowl is open through March 7. The early bird registration fee is $15 for the Panther Pounce and $30 for the Panther Prowl 5K through Feb. 28. All runners, walkers, volunteers and sponsors are welcome to participate. While it is a family-friendly event, please leave all furry friends at home. Medals will be awarded to the top three male and female runners.
For more information about the PTA program, contact Friedlander at 252-638-7341 or friedlanderd@cravencc.edu. To register for either Panther Prowl race, visit www.RunTheEast.com.
This article also appeared in the Sun Journal.