Barbara Danquist - Carmel Monthly Magazine

October 2018 Writer // Janelle Morrison Photography // Courtesy of Carmel Education Foundation For the last 10 years, the Carmel Education Foundation (CEF) has been hosting its annual Ghost & Goblins 5K/2K Walk and Run. The ever-popular event is a fundraiser to benefit Carmel Clay Schools (CCS) through education grants. These grants are awarded to teachers for classroom enrichment and curriculum development. The annual Ghost & Goblins 5K/2K has become more than a fundraiser – it has become a healthy activity and entertaining tradition for local residents and families. This family and stroller-friendly event draws nearly 3,000 participants and has raised $360,000 for CCS teachers and grants. This year’s Ghost & Goblins 5K/2K will be held Saturday, October 27 at 9 a.m. The event is timed and scored for chipped participants who enjoy the competitive element, and timed results will be posted onsite and on the event’s website, carmelghostrun.com. The scenic course will begin and end at Carmel High School (CHS) Main Cafeteria Door 7. This year’s course will include portions of the Hagen-Burke and Monon Trails and will feature a run down Main Street. Free parking is available at CHS, CHS Stadium and Carmel Elementary. Costumes that are run/walk-friendly are encouraged, but masks are not permitted at the event. Please leave your pet(s) at home as they are not allowed with the exception of service animals. Prizes will be awarded for best adult, best teacher, youth (9 years and under as well as 10-18 years) and ensemble costumes. A special Ghost & Goblins trophy is awarded to the CCS elementary school with the most participants. That elementary school also receives a “Ghost & Goblins” banner for the school to permanently display. The middle school with the most participants will be awarded a Ghost & Goblins banner to display as well. Stephanie McDonald, co-director at CEF, spoke about the friendly competition between the schools and the camaraderie that builds between students as they participate as a school. “It brings that camaraderie because the kids are running together,” McDonald shared. “Prairie Trace Elementary has won the trophy the last four years. They have come dressed as ‘Waldo,’ Dalmatians and patriotic themes where the principal was dressed as the Statue of Liberty and the rest of the group were dressed in red, white and blue. It is a lot of fun to see all of the kids dress up, but it is not a requirement of the schools to participate. The school with the most participants gets the trophy for the year.” McDonald and her co-executive director Barbara Danquist emphasized that this is a family-fun event as well as their biggest fundraiser for CEF, but they have kept the registration affordable so as not to be a detriment to families’ budgets and to bring out as many participants as possible. McDonald added, “We make it affordable to participate because this event is for our CCS families.” For those who may not be aware, CEF has been supporting CCS students and teachers since 1966. CEF has awarded over $2,000,000 in college scholarships to CHS seniors and over $525,000 in education grants. CEF remains dedicated to its founding purpose to award educational grants by fundraising to fund the grants. Classroom grants are awarded up to $700 per teacher, $1,500 per teacher group and up to $2,000 per school. Some of the remarkable grants that have been awarded by CEF to CCS teachers include “Hands on Robotics and Computer Program” and “Professional Musicians Side by Side,” both CHS programs; Sensory Room Equipment and Workshop Economics, both Carmel Middle programs; 3D printer and Elite Gaming Live, both Clay Middle programs; 2014 NASA Rocket Project and Language Learning Tourist, both programs at Creekside Middle; and a myriad of impressive classroom grants that have been awarded to numerous teachers in all of the district’s elementary schools. Another remarkable give-back from CEF is its scholarships, including the Lisa Evans Scholarship available for eligible CHS seniors who either enter the 5K or 2K or volunteer at the event. The $500 scholarship was named in honor of past CEF president Lisa Evans. “Lisa was our president when it was started,” McDonald said. “She was very dedicated to getting the run/walk going and was instrumental in its planning. With our scholarships, students apply online. In that application is a section where they can check all the programs that they have or are involved in, such as sports, Ambassadors, etc., and if they have participated or volunteered at Ghost & Goblins. A name is randomly drawn, and that senior is awarded a $500 scholarship that comes out of the event proceeds. The remaining proceeds go into our grant fund.” Participants can take advantage of early registration savings for the 10th Annual Ghost & Goblins 5K/2K Walk and Run if they register prior to October 21. Online registration is available now through October 25. Race walk-ins are welcome but expect to pay full price. Event T-shirts are available but are not included in the price of registration. The courses for the 5K run and 2K walk are designed to be accessible for persons with special needs. For more detailed event information and to register, visit carmelghostrun.com. For more information on the Carmel Education Foundation, email foundation@ccs.k12.in.us or call 317-844-9961 x 2680.

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