As the school year comes to an end, Gustavus students are still actively trying to serve their community. On Sunday, May 18, Colleges Against Cancer and the Gustavus Swimming & Diving team will be hosting a fun run/walk, the Race for Grace 5K.

The name of the event was given in honor of Grace Goblirsch, who was a student at the College and a member of the Gustavus Swimming & Diving team. In August of 2013, Grace passed away after an 8 month battle with acute myelogenous leukemia.

Carlson coached Goblirsch during her time on the team.

“I continue to be inspired by the impact Grace Goblirsch has had on her teammates on the swim team, as well as her classmates at Gustavus. This run is a great way to honor her and raise money for a great cause. She was a special person who’s  spirit still inspires the lives she touched,” Gustavus Swimmng & Diving Head Coach Jon Carlson said.

Goblirsch’s memory continues to live on through the Gusties she befriended during her time on the Hill. She left a positive impact on many students she associated with at the College, including her teammates.

“To everyone on the team, Grace was the one with the positive attitude. She was that person that would help you through the difficult times. She was a good friend to many people, because of her good attitude. She was very strong and hard-working, both in school and swimming. Losing her was very difficult for many people, because she was someone people could turn to,” Senior Swimming & Diving Co-Captain Alissa Tinklenberg said.

The Swimming & Diving Team and Colleges Against Cancer are hopeful that this event will become a tradition at the College. As of May 3, there were 155 people signed up to race.

Senior Caitlyn Bayer has been in charge of making this event possible.

“Our original was goal was 100, but now that we’ve passed that goal, we want to raise the bar for that goal. We’re just very thrilled with how many people are involved,” Bayer said.

The organizers of the event are encouraged by how many people across campus have signed up to show their support.  Members from different athletic teams, as well as other Gusties, have all signed up for the event. There will be a wide variety of participants at this event.

“We’ve been very surprised by the amount of participants. We’ve been blown away by the amount of organizations that have reached out to us,” Bayer said.

The goal from this event is to raise $1,000 total. Bayer believes it’s possible given the overwhelming amount of support the event has received so far.

The cost to participate in this event is $15. Those who signed up by May 2 are guaranteed a performance race t-shirt. All the proceeds from this event will go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to help fund blood cancer research, education, and patient services.

Check in will be at 9:00 a.m. outside the Interpretive Center in the Linneaus Arboretum, or it will be inside if there are inclement weather conditions. There will be an opening ceremony at 9:30 a.m. followed by the race at 10:00 a.m. A small meal will also be served following the race.

There will also be a costume contest, and participants are encouraged to wear the colors purple and orange. Orange represents leukemia while purple represents cancer survival.

Bayer is the contact for the event and all questions regarding the Race for Grace 5K.