The 26th Annual 5K Human Race, organized by the Catholic Center at the University of Georgia, was held on March 20. The race raised over $11,000 for three different charitable organizations.

The proceeds from this race were donated to St. Mary’s Hospice, Camp St. Francis, which provides young children with a summer opportunity to develop leadership skills and build self-esteem, and the Open Hearts Center, which provides families with basic necessities and assistance in obtaining employment.

“I believe that the Human Race has been so successful because the Catholic Center always has a terrific group of people who serve on the planning committee each year and we generally receive a tremendous response from our sponsors,” said Sister Barbara Winkler, MSC, staff member of the Catholic Center at UGA. “They are familiar with the Catholic Center’s outreach efforts and they know that the proceeds from the race help the local community.”

The event had more than 325 participants. Among them were the Girls on the Run Program of the Catholic Center at UGA, which provides young girls with opportunities for fun and fellowship and promotes self-confidence.

Not only was the race for a good cause, but it also brought together a variety of faces from the community that all shared a common goal for the day, said Dan Earle, 19, student at UGA and member of the Catholic Center at UGA.

Andrew Grant, 18, won the race with a time 16:18.9, and Susan Adams, 44, was the female winner with a time of 20:45.3. Barbara Dooley, wife of UGA Athletic Director Vince Dooley, was the official race starter and also won her age division.

After the 5K run/walk, participants enjoyed a celebration with music, food and awards. During the awards ceremony, the top three winners in each five-year age division received beautiful coffee mugs with the race logo. The University of Georgia mascot, Spike, was also at the event.

“The most fulfilling part of the Human Race is seeing how much people actually enjoy themselves on the day of the race and also seeing the joy in the faces of our recipients when we present them with a sizable check after the race each year,” said Sister Winkler. “The funds are greatly appreciated, and we are grateful that we can be supportive of groups who are making a difference in the Athens community.”