“I want to beat Principal Kurt Ogren” was the thought of many Woodland students and staff on October 12, 2013. Mr. Ogren, the new principal at Woodland Regional High School, enjoys running as a hobby. To draw in a bigger crowd for Woodland Worldwide’s annual Run for a Revolution he came up with the idea of the “KO Challenge”. For any student or faculty that beat him in the race he would donate ten dollars to Run for a Revolution.
Ogren’s challenge helped draw in more students and faculty than ever before. This year’s Run for a Revolution had the biggest turn out yet.
Although the event has not been as big in the past, it has always been very successful. The first year, other schools were involved in coming to Woodland to run in the race. Amity High School started a club last year to replicate Woodland Worldwide (Previously known as Woodland For Woman Worldwide). This year Woodland and Amity have decided to team up and are hoping to do a lot of events together.
Not only did the race have a big turn out in terms of runners, but there were also an astonishing amount of volunteers.
“The number of people involved in the event is just amazing,” said Woodland Worldwide leader, Lisa Olivere.
Despite having other obligations, students were still determined to be involved in this event. Even though the swim team had practice at nine, six of the girls’ swim team members arrived at six forty-five in the morning to help set up. The girls’ soccer team also participated in the event by running in the race and showed their support by all wearing red t-shirts.
The volunteers and participants did not just stop with current Woodland students. Many graduates came back this year to help support the run. One graduate, Amanda Gagne, was a founding member of Woodland for Woman Worldwide and brought the Somaly Mam foundation to the club’s attention. She is now an intern for the Somaly Mam foundation and was at the run to sell products like beads, bags, and bracelets.
The Run for a Revolution would not have been complete without the giving out of the Heroine award. This award is given out once a year to a woman who is strong, courageous, a female leader in a male dominant job, and above all has overcome diversity. This years Heroine award was given to Iraq War Veteran, Cheryl Eberg. Cheryl Eberg was a master Sargent in the war. She is a pioneer embodies everything the heroine award stands for.
The Heroine Award was not the only award given out at the Run for a Revolution. The top finishers all received medals. For the under eighteen division Even Peters finished third. The top finisher was a league runner from the Community. No one from Woodland KOed (Knocked Out) Kurt Ogren as he finished second overall.
Ogren can sleep a little lighter knowing he gets to keep all his ten dollar bills. However as promised, he be paying a dollar for each student and faculty member that ran.
