Dec. 11, 2009

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OXFORD, Ohio - The Miami University men's track team always runs with a purpose. Usually that purpose is to improve a personal best or win a race, but this holiday season, the RedHawks took a run for a different purpose--to help those who are less fortunate.

For the third straight year, team members ran--literally-- to Oxford homes collecting canned and boxed food to donate to the Oxford Community Choice Food Pantry. On Monday (Dec. 7), members of Miami's men's track squad used their practice time to collect the food while also still getting in a workout.

"It's not really a hard workout," joked assistant coach Chad Reynolds, who first started the tradition during the 2007 holiday season. But the workout is just an added bonus as part of doing the community service.

"I've always wanted to keep the event track-oriented and try and tie it together with helping the community," said Reynolds, who primarily works with Miami's hurdlers and sprinters. "We figured since we're runners, we'd be able to run door-to-door and collect food and help give back to a community that gives so much to Miami."

While some RedHawks were hard at work running from house to house asking for donations, fellow teammates followed behind in a car to transport all the food. The student-athletes took turns running and riding along in the car.

The track team also got the Miami student body involved this year, as the RedHawk runners gathered food from students in their dorms as well, making the donation of food all the more plentiful. On Thursday afternoon (Dec. 10), Reynolds and sophomore John Brockman, whose main event is the javelin, dropped off the multiple bags and boxes of food to the Oxford Food Pantry, where the food will be sorted and given to families in need from the Oxford and Talawanda School District community during the holiday season.

"As a Miami student-athlete I think we're really privileged, so every opportunity we have to give back to those less fortunate is great," said Brockman.

--MURedHawks.com--

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