The following is a letter from Robert Wayer, OU Track and CC alumnus:
Track Alumni and Supporters,
My name is Robert Wayner. I am an alumni of the OU Men's Track Team from 2001-05, and am currently still attending Ohio as a Graduate student in the Physical Therapy Doctoral program. I am sure most of you have heard by now that Ohio University has decided it will no longer offer Men's Track and Field as a varsity sport following the current season. I know many of you have been very involved with writing letters, and supporting the cause to have the team reinstated. I myself have written letters to President McDavis, Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt, and the Board of Trustees, and have been searching for more ways to help our cause as well as increase awareness about Men's Track at Ohio.
In the Fall, prior to the universities decision, the School of Physical Therapy decided it would hold a 5/10k road race to raise money for the Class of 2008 for research and other general funding. After the Athletic Departments decision, I, as the Race Director, decided to extend our race to raise money for the Men's Team, more specifically the 501(c)(3) Trust fund for the endowment of the program. I am aware that the Mr. Hocutt has said he will not support an endowment of the program, but I still think it is of great importance to raise the money to show how serious alumni our about keeping Men's Track at Ohio University as a varsity sport. Even if the money is raised, and we are turned down, it can still go to good use if the program is forced into a club format to fund those athletes who plan to stay. It my goal to raise a $5000 profit with this race, of which anything over that amount, 40 % will be donated to the fund, and anything under that amount we would try to hit the same $2000 donation that $5000 even would give. I know this is just a small amount in the big picture of what is needed to be raised, but it is my hope that this event will raise more attention, and increase awareness to our cause, as well as show that our will to fight has not faded. We have already started advertising on the streets of Athens, to our athletic teams with the help of current OU Track Members, and within the week we will be sending out press packets to all local newspapers and media outlets as well as those in the Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland areas about our event.
I hope that I can count on all of you to support this event, and I encourage you to tell your family, and friends about the race. I would also like to personally invite you all to the event, to either take part in the race, or just to be guests. Attached with this email is a printable race entry form (we advertise that the race is to support the Track CLUB only due to the recent decline of the endowment fund), if you would be interested in just donating to the Track fund you are more than welcome to send your donation to us and we will make sure that it goes 100% to our donation to the track fund once the 501(c)(3)/Club fund is set up. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me anytime. Thank you for your help,thank you to all of you who have supported the cause to bring back men's track, and thank you to those who made Ohio Track what is. I could not have asked for a better experience in my four years, and I want others to get the same opportunities we had. Below is some quick info about the race:
Name: Buffalo Wild Wings Spring Stampede presented by OUPT Class of 2008
Distance: 5k run/walk and 10k race
When: May 19, 2007 at 10:30am
Where: Goldsberry Track, Ohio University
Why: To raise money for the OU Mens Track Endowment and OUPT Class of 2008
Register: http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1424490
Facebook Link: http://ohio.facebook.com/event.php?eid=2259871772
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