More than 1,000 runners and walkers gathered in Wilson Plaza on Sunday to celebrate the 10th annual UCLA 5K Run/Walk, an event massive in scope but actually comprised of countless individual stories.
The participants, along with committee members and volunteers, raised funds to benefit the Child Life/Child Development program at the Mattel Children’s Hospital.
Whether runners, walkers, organizers, celebrities or affected children and their families, the event offered something for everyone.
Immediately prior to the race, Dr. Edward McCabe, the physician-in-chief of the Mattel Children’s Hospital, invited to the stage the children benefiting from the Child Life/Child Development program and their families, whom he called the “true heroes” of the day.
The children and their families shared stories of playrooms, arts and crafts, and special care from the staff, which allowed pediatric patients to simply be kids during their stays in the hospital.
Melissa Hough, a first-year economics student, said she was encouraged by the stories shared before the race.
“It was inspiring to know I was running with people for a common cause,” she said. “Now I want to go volunteer.”
After the added inspiration from the event’s beneficiaries, runners and walkers gathered in a pack and at the sound of sirens, stormed out of Wilson Plaza.
Seventeen minutes and 21 seconds later, the first runners began to cross the finish line.
Brian Shedd, a UCLA alumnus, finished soon after, clad in full-body red spandex.
“During the race, I was thinking, “˜Focus, relax, and let the training do its work.’ Of course, the outfit helped, too,” he said.
Though he has participated in previous years, he said that this was the first year he actually tried to run the whole course.
“It’s the one time people can come to UCLA and compete if they aren’t student athletes,” he said.
Second-year communication studies student Meggan McGrath said she was not sure what to expect.
After the race, she said, “I felt like I was going to throw up, but it was worth every minute.”
Though she planned on walking the course, she was inspired by the crowd of people running together and decided to run as well.
“I also saw a mother and daughter who shared their stories, and I thought, “˜If they can do this, I should be able to run,'” she added.
While she originally signed up because Kacie Sturek, her resident assistant and the event’s director, encouraged her to, McGrath said she found a deeper significance in participating.
“When I saw the people truly affected by this event, it made it more real for me,” she said.
Sturek has also experienced the fundraiser’s significance firsthand.
The fifth-year student knew the UCLA 5K Run/Walk benefited the Child Life/Child Development program, but it was only this year that she truly understood why.
“I have a new appreciation for all of the hard work done at the hospital because now I know the people and the cause personally,” she said.
Actress Dakota Fanning, who served as the event’s celebrity host, also has a personal investment in the cause: She has visited the Mattel Children’s Hospital and played with the children to brighten their spirits.
“I first went to the hospital to surprise the kids when we were screening the movie “˜Dreamer.’ I really enjoyed the experience and found it inspiring to give back to the community,” she said.
She said her favorite part of the UCLA 5K Run/Walk was being able to run the race with her dad and see some of the children she has visited in the hospital.
“Any hard thing I have to deal with is easy compared to the strength these kids have to show every day,” Fanning added.