Contact:
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Rick Pike |
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Snow College |
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(435) 283-7062 |
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Fax: (435) 283-7064 |
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Marathon Campaign Nets
$50,000 for Snow College Athletics
EPHRAIM, Utah—October 6, 2003—Of the 4,500 runners that participated in last Saturday’s St. George Marathon, probably no other participant had more riding on the outcome than Snow College President Michael Benson. Over the past several months, Benson has secured almost $50,000 in cash and pledges for Snow’s athletic department on the condition that he finish the race. Fortunately, Benson crossed the finish line in a respectable time. The Badgers are now better off financially thanks to many supporters and donors.
Benson is no stranger to marathons, having completed the 1984 Boston Marathon nearly 20 years ago. His personal best – 2 hours 41 minutes and 42 seconds – was good enough to place him 40th overall in the 1983 St. George Marathon and win his age division. It also qualified him for Boston where he was 1 of just 20 teenagers from around the world participating. A few weeks later, Benson left on an LDS Mission for Rome, Italy, and thought his marathon days were over.
“The more I got into school and other activities, the less time I had for serious training,” recalls Benson. “And once I got out of graduate school and started working full-time, I was doing well if I could squeeze in 3 or 4 miles on a treadmill twice a week.”
That was until Benson recognized that a marathon could be used as a revenue generator for Snow College and its financially strapped athletic department. He decided to pull his running shoes out of retirement and began serious training 4 months ago. A regular training route is from his home in Ephraim to what Sanpete County locals call “Pigeon Hollow” 5 miles north on Highway 89 and back. Benson has been sighted completing the course every Saturday morning.
“The first time I ran it, I must have looked pretty haggard because an older woman stopped me and asked if my car broke down and offered to give me a ride,” laughs Benson.
College support staff dubbed the campaign “Benson Blisters for Badgers” and sent out solicitation letters. Before long, the money started coming including some sizeable gifts - $10,000 from a Nephi Hospital, run by a Snow alumnus, and $10,000 from Zions Bank. There were several donations from friends of the president and friends of Snow College between $100 and $1,000. Faculty, staff and students of Snow College supported the effort as well by donating over $3,000.
The money will be spent on athletic scholarships and for some emergency replacement needs. Two weeks ago, lightning hit Badger Stadium and took out the 35 year-old scoreboard. During the first home football game against Pima Community College, the sound system died halfway through the 3rd quarter. Benson’s efforts will allow the college to replace both.
“I’ve had a great time preparing, despite a few physical setbacks – and there’s no better cause than Snow College” claims Benson. “One way I’ve gotten through the pain and tedium of training has been to think about our students and some of our campus needs. It’s been well worth it.”
Snow College
Snow College, founded in
1888, serves approximately 3,000 students at its Ephraim campus. The college
provides general education and applied technology programs leading to Associate
of Arts, Associate of Science, Associate of Applied Science and Associate of
Pre-Engineering degrees, and certificates of completion in a number of
occupational areas. Once owned by The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Snow College became a state
college in 1932.
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