Ridgewater honor society receives and pays forward $500 donation
March 2, 2020
HUTCHINSON, MN – Community partnerships go a long way – sometimes the distance of a 5K- or 10K-run or even a half marathon! Local Luce Line Lace-Up event organizers know they can’t host the annual fall running event alone.
For the past four years, Ridgewater’s Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society has been a consistent group volunteering for the local running event that draws approximately 200 participants each fall. Sometimes the PTK volunteer team of students, faculty, staff, and family can be found stuffing event swag bags, directing participants along the routes, or distributing post-event refreshments.
To say thanks, event co-organizers Carl Hoeft, chair of the 3M Running Club, along with Terri Gens, presented Ridgewater PTK members with a check for $500.
“We can’t do this event without the volunteers,” Hoeft said. “It’s just not possible.” Now four years into the Luce Line Lace-Up tradition, it has grown so much that it requires 75-100 volunteers to make it successful, he explained. Other committed large groups include the Hutchinson Music Boosters and the Hutchinson High School Robotics team, plus numerous smaller groups and individuals.
Ridgewater’s Jill Rezac, an English instructor, has been the PTK Hutchinson chapter advisor for several years. She’s been committed to creating community connection opportunities for her members. “This is an excellent event and meets two of our PTK pillars – leadership and service,” Rezac said. “The event itself is so well run, and it has been exciting to see it grow every year. The funds raised from the event go back into community organizations, so this is just a win-win for everyone.”
In the spirit of community service and helping others, the Ridgewater PTK Hutchinson Chapter has decided to pay it forward by donating the entire $500 reward for their volunteerism to the new Ridgewater College Food Pantry created this past year for college students in need.
In past years, PTK has used donated funds received for leadership development. “This year, members felt it important that we commit our funds to the College Food Pantry to support our student food insecurity needs,” Rezac said proudly. Another win-win.
To learn more about the next Luce Line Lace-Up event set for September 19, 2020, or its volunteer opportunities, go to www.lucelinelaceup.com. To learn more about Ridgewater, go to www.ridgewater.edu .
