On Saturday monring, many students will be lined up at the starting line for the Jaywalk. The race, which starts at 9 a.m., is CSU’s annual fundraising event for the Jesuit Academy.
JayWalk began as a celebration of the 125th anniversary of Creighton University and as a way to recognize the relationship among the three Omaha Jesuit schools; Creighton University, Creighton Prep and the Jesuit Academy.
Business senior and JayWalk coordinator Justin Stoeckle said that he has been planning the event since the beginning of the year.
“I started some of the basic planning in January [including] getting the route, permit from the city, logo design and a marketing strategy,” Stoeckle said. “Most of the day of planning and money raising happened this past summer.”
The race begins at Deglman Circle and the route will take runners around Creighton’s campus and down to TD Ameritrade Park with the finish line at the Skutt Student Center, according to Stoeckle. Following the race there will be a pancake feed until noon in Skutt.
One of the biggest changes of this year is greater inclusion of Creighton Prep.
“In the first few years of the event, Creighton Prep had a vital part in the planning and fundraising; however, in the past few years Prep’s involvement has diminished,” Stoeckle said. “This year we are trying to bring them back. Prep pre-registered 50 students to run in the race. Also Prep has a quarterly collection where students at the high school will organize ways to raise money for a certain organization and the first quarters collection is going to Jesuit Academy.”
Arts & Sciences senior Katie Kuhns frequently volunteers at the Jesuit Academy, a Catholic school run by the Jesuits for fourth to eigth grade boys that serves the North Omaha area. The school is almost completely donor funded and parents pay very little for tuition.
“Most of the young men at Jesuit Academy are from the North Omaha area and are from low-income, often single-parent families,” Kuhns said. “I have never met a greater group of boys. They are truly the funniest and sweetest group of young men I have ever worked with. I truly believe in what Jesuit Academy is doing for these boys. It serves as a perfect manifestation of the Jesuit mission right down the street in North Omaha.”
Over the years, JayWalk has raised and donated more than $70,000 to provide student scholarships, facilities and a new gymnasium floor for the Jesuit Academy.
“My favorite part of working with Jaywalk has been knowing that I am going to be helping young men get a Jesuit education,” Stoeckle said. “I am a senior this year and this is my eighth year being a part of a Jesuit education and it has changed my life in ways that I cannot describe. Jaywalk is a way for me to give back to the community and help kids have that same experience that I did.”
Students are drawn to the race because it is a benefit for a non-profit close to Creighton’s heart. Arts & Scineces sophomore Darby Smith participated in the race last year and says that she is going to run for a second year.
“I had so much fun running the race last year,” Smith said. “It was great to get active with friends and knowing that the money is going to a good cause makes me feel like I’m benefitting the community.”
Pre-race registration is $15 for students and $25 for non-students. On-site registration begins at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at Deglman Circle and is $20 for students and $30 for non-students. For online registration visit: http://www.creighton.edu/csu/jaywalk/registration/index.php