FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For More Information, contact:
Abby McNulty, Executive Director
amcnulty@pcschools.us
(435) 615-0235 x1

PARK CITY, UT – In a town filled with avid and accomplished athletes – from the casual recreationalist to the gold medal-winning Olympian – Meghan Zarnetske has found a way to shine.

Zarnetske vows to hit the Park City trails on May 22, 2010 and run the entire 41-mile course of the new Park City Education Foundation’s Running With Ed relay race to raise scholarship money for students in her earth science class.

“Every year we take students up to the Teton Science School for a week, and there are always three to five students who are not able to afford the $400 cost of the trip,” said Zarnetske. “We lost funding from other sources that covered that cost in the past, so I was trying to think about ways to raise that money.”

A runner since the age of 12, Meghan liked the idea of earning ‘miles for money’ to raise awareness of and funds for her kids. She was thrilled to learn about PCEF’s Running With Ed inaugural race this coming May.

“I thought – perfect! So I called and asked permission to run it for this reason. I didn’t expect it to be received so enthusiastically,” she said.

“The quest to provide Park City students with exceptional experiences in science is exactly what Park City Education Foundation and the event is all about,” said PCEF Executive Director, Abby McNulty.

“The race is designed for teams of five people, with the goal of raising money for programs and equipment that shrinking school budgets will never be able to cover,” explained McNulty. “Meghan’s willingness to run the entire course solely to raise scholarship money proves once again the dedication of Park City teachers to their students.”

All seven public schools in the Park City School District report at least two teams of teachers and students ready to run in the name of ‘ed’(ucation), and the registration period continues through the end of April.

The event includes a 41-mile course looping throughout the Park City School District area, with transition points at each public school, and a community party at the start/finish line in the Newpark neighborhood. Awards will recognize fastest runners, team costumes, creative team names, school spirit, and other entertaining categories.

“We have been working closely with Ragnar Events to create a fun race for competitive runners and people who just want to support their schools,” said event organizer Tim Chesley. “We’ve gotten great feedback, and people are eager to participate at every level.”

Zarnetske will receive a $1,200 PCEF teacher grant to cover the scholarships in exchange for running the entire course this year. She will also earn the opportunity to raise funds for next year’s scholarship students through a link to a donation page on the PCEF website: www.pcef4kids.org.

“Thirty-five students applied to travel to the Teton Science School outside Jackson Hole, Wyo. this year, and 21 made the trip this March. Students who participate in this program get hands-on experience with ecosystems of the Grand Teton National Park, learning snow science, wildlife interactions and field ecology. They conduct a research project from hypothesis to presentation during the trip, and they even film their experience and edit it into a mini film festival”, said Zarnetske.

“Many students tell me it’s a life-changing experience. What they learned about themselves and their environment last year was just incredible. They had me in tears,” she added.

Running with Ed is a 41-mile relay race covering Park City School District area, roughly western Summit County. The race will be held on Saturday, May 22, 2010, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration fees and donations raised through this event will benefit programs and grants of the Park City Education Foundation. The day includes spirit competitions at all seven public schools in the School District and a raging community-based party at the start/finish line at Newpark in Kimball Junction.

There are still openings for teams of five and teams of 10 to register for the event. Registration fees are $500/team, and registration closes April 30th. Sponsorship, volunteer and participation opportunities are still available; inquire with Executive Director Abby McNulty at (435) 615-0235 x1 or amcnulty@pcschools.us for more information.

To see more about this year’s adventure at the Teton Science School, check out Meghan Zarnetske’s blog at http://blogs.pcschools.us/tetonscience.

The Park City Education Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds to support programs in Park City’s public schools, especially in the areas of math, science, languages and arts. For more information on PCEF, its programs and fundraisers such as Running with Ed, log on to www.pcef4kids.org, or contact Executive Director Abby McNulty at (435) 615-0235 x1 or amcnulty@pcschools.us.