The 10th annual JayWalk fundraiser, one of Creighton Student Union’s (CSU) philanthropic projects, is set for Saturday.
The money collected from the race will be donated to The Jesuit Academy of Omaha. Proceeds will go towards fulfilling the school’s mission to continue instilling Catholic principles and providing a Jesuit education that enriches their students’ lives in an academic, spiritual and social way. It also strives to prepare them for a lifetime of leadership and to gain acceptance into a college.
Troy Wharton, principal at The Jesuit Academy of Omaha, is appreciative of all of the work that JayWalk provides.
“We survive off a lot of volunteers,” Wharton said.
Wharton also said that the JayWalk event raises enough funds to pay for one student’s education.
In the past, the fundraiser has yielded around $4,000, and the current team hopes to meet the same goal.
“Whatever we collect from the JayWalk goes directly to educating our young men,” Wharton said.
On-site registration is possible starting at 7 a.m., albeit at a slightly higher price. Runners and walkers will begin at 9 a.m., at the Deglman Circle at the intersection of 24th and California streets. After the race there will be a pancake breakfast held in the Skutt Student Center Ballroom.
Business senior Matt Novotny, CSU’s traditions coordinator, has been the spearhead of the organization putting on the JayWalk.
In previous years, the race was typically held on Parent’s Weekend. This year, it has been scheduled for Alumni Weekend.
“We really wanted to draw in the alumni crowd,” Novotny said. “In the past years, it was a Creighton event, but not many students were there. This year, it’s less of a community event and more about the Creighton students.”
Currently, there are around 250 participants signed up.
Many individuals have a hand at making the event happen. The CSU Board of Representatives plays a key role in advertising while public safety helps manage any security related issues on that day.
“There’s a group of 30 people that really make it happen,” Novotny said. “Volunteers help out a lot too.”
Although nothing special is planned in the light of the race’s 10th occurence, Fr. Timothy Lannon, S.J. is expected to make an appearance to give the check and a short speech.
“This year, we were able to pull more students than in the past,” Novotny said. “The student pricing partly helped out with that. We also bumped it back an hour, from 8 a.m. in the past to 9 a.m.”
The academy really appreciates the help.
“[The children of The Jesuit Academy] usually write a thank you letter … all of the 64
students at the school usually sign in. They’ve always been really thankful,” Novotny said.
Wharton said he has his own set of hopes for the JayWalk this coming weekend.
“I just hope that people will get to understand the Jesuit Mission and the Jesuit vision and our presence in North Omaha … that they realize we are here,” Wharton said.
Potentially interested students and community members are encouraged to email Matt Novotny at csujw@creighton. edu or visit www.creighton.edu/jaywalk. More information and packets are available at the Student Activities Office in the Skutt Student Center from 8:20 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.“I encouraged our entire Creighton Community to participate in Feed the Spirit and to use it as a springboard for future immersion into our local community so that we can actively serve one another,” said Starzky.
by Sanju Sathian