SAXTONS RIVER — With a pumpkin pie in their sights, Vermont Academy students, faculty, staff and friends took off recently on a 5K race over the campus cross-country trails in the second annual Pumpkin Run to benefit the food pantry at Our Place Drop-in Center in Bellows Falls.
Around the track, over fields, through the woods, and even up the steep ski jump hill ran well-conditioned student athletes and their less-in-shape elders, all aimed at the prizes for those who completed the grueling course in an age-appropriate prescribed time: a whole pumpkin pie baked by the school's kitchen staff.
Winning the race for the males was VA junior Craig Calhoun of Jericho, with a new course record time of 19:46. VA senior Magda Blakeson of Dummerston won for the females, beating her own course record by two minutes, with a time of 23:03.
Before the crowd took off at a signal from math teacher Robert Harrington, they filled a table with their entry fees: non-perishable food items for Our Place.
“The amount of food we collected was incredible,” said Maryann McArdle, VA's Director of Communications and a member of the board of Our Place. “This is a great event for the VA family. They came through again to show they care about the local community. Some of our pottery students also helped Our Place by making bowls for the recent Empty Bowl dinner that helps fund the center.”
In the end, 207 finished the race, and a good portion of them enjoyed a pie for their efforts.
Our Place is a daytime shelter and food pantry located on Island Street that serves breakfast and lunch five days a week. Each month, it provides groceries for about 175 families and makes 50 grocery deliveries a month to the homebound.