The Park City High School National Honor Society will host its annual Memorial 5K at Dozier Field on Saturday, continuing a tradition that began in May 2009.
The event started in honor of five Park City students — known as the PC5 — who passed within seven months of each other in 2008, and has since expanded to commemorate alumni and other community members lost over the years.
For the student body and the honor society students leading the charge, the memorial is a reflection on the strength of community and compassion, said junior Scarlett Tary, who acts as the group project service coordinator for the National Honor Society.
“By bringing everybody together, we’re able to sponsor all sorts of meaningful charities and we know that we’re remembering these people in a way that helps everybody involved and makes sure those we’ve lost, their memory doesn’t fade,” said Tary.
As a student-led initiative, Tary and her peers take charge of everything from securing permits and coordinating community outreach to managing donations and overseeing finances. This year’s 5k will benefit charities that connect with community members in need, including Labs for Liberty and the Homeless Youth Center of Salt Lake. The race also encourages donations to support the honor society’s humanitarian projects and scholarships.
The race begins at 9 a.m. with registration open from 8 to 8:50 a.m. Runners of all ages and abilities are welcome, medals are awarded to the top four finishers in each division.
As runners round the final stretch of the track, they’re met with a line of over 100 banners, each bearing the name and photo of a community member who has passed, created by National Honor Society students.
“That way, when you’re running, you can really see who you’re doing this for or just be there and run for those around you who have lost someone. It’s a way for everybody to come together with those people,” said Tary.
The event sees a huge turnout with hundreds of students and family members supporting runners with donations to the society’s page. By Wednesday afternoon, students had raised over $26,000 of their $40,000 goal.
Rain or shine, the heart of the event carries community members to the finish line. Tary recalled last year’s race, which took place under a steady downpour.
“We’re super passionate about it, and we had lots of people come, even in the rain. It was a really fun group experience and just so incredible to see all these people from around Park City come together to support this mission,” said Tary.
The National Honor Society Memorial 5k is free to attend. Community members can register and donate here.