The annual Pleasanton Run for Education promotes fitness, celebrates the community, and fundraises for local schools. This year, the event took place on Apr. 30 at the Alameda County Fairgrounds. 

The PPIE organization was established in 1987 and raised a total of $5,000,00 for Pleasanton’s schools. In order to raise funds, PPIE collects money from major donors and families. The organization also hosts fundraising events and receives community sponsorships. 

Numerous Amador students not only participated in the run but also volunteered at it. Since high school seniors must earn 20 community service hours, volunteering for PPIE is a quality way to achieve that. 

“I showed up at the fairgrounds at 5:00 AM to volunteer. I filled up water cups for the runners and helped unload supplies from trucks,” said Chriag Kalugakar (‘24).

The volunteer work was relatively simple, and volunteers would enjoy themselves while helping out. There were several jobs to complete, but there wasn’t anything too overwhelming.

“Even though my shift started at 5 am I still enjoyed volunteering. The work was light and I had fun while doing it,” said Chriag Kalugakar(24’).

The race itself had three distance options: 5K meters (3.1 miles), 10K meters (6.2 miles), and two miles. Anyone would participate in any way. There were runners, walkers, and strollers with infants in all events because the courses were suitable for participants of all ages and levels of athletic ability. 

“I ran the 5k course. However, I’d walked a decent amount of the course. Overall I had fun and enjoyed the race,” said race participant Colin Meastaes(‘24).

Many participants enjoyed the run. Following the route, they went through downtown Pleasanton and passed several familiar areas. The course looped through the Alameda county fairgrounds from start to finish. 

“The course was pretty fun. And although I’m not an avid runner, I didn’t struggle as much as I thought I would. There wasn’t that much uphill or downhill running,” said past participant Matteo Gable (‘24).

Amador track and field athlete Kurtis Bauman (‘24) placed second in the 5k run. He ran at an impressive 5:36 minutes per meter pace. 

“I think my race was executed very well and I was able to stick to a good strategy. I felt good about my performance and satisfied with my effort,” said Kurtis Bauman(24’).

In order to help the PPIE organization, people can help spread awareness about the 2024 run or about the organization itself. Another alternative is signing up to run or donate directly to PPIE.