Aspen High seniors to host charity 5k race Aug. 10 for Challenge Aspen

Runners like to run, so hosting a charity race for a school project sounded like a lot of fun to Julia Diaz and Mykenzie Roy.

The Aspen High School seniors, who are both members of the AHS cross country team, are organizing what they are calling the “Aspen 5K for Good” on Saturday, Aug. 10, in Aspen. It’s a fundraiser for Challenge Aspen and will help them fulfill requirements for their International Baccalaureate (IB) program through AHS.

“We wanted to do a race for charity to help benefit the community,” Diaz said. “Ever since I was younger, I’ve known of Challenge Aspen as a charity in the valley, and they’ve done a lot of incredible things for people with disabilities and have allowed people to enjoy the outdoors the same way that I do. It’s really incredible they have that. So, we both decided it was something we wanted to support.”

The 5-kilometer run — it’s the same distance as your standard high school cross-country race — will be centered on Rio Grande Park and will be an out-and-back affair on a nearby section of the Rio Grande Trail. Bib pick-up will start at 7:30 a.m., while the race will get underway at 8:30 a.m.

The students have gone through all the official channels to obtain the necessary permits to hold the race.

“There are a lot more things going into everything that I was not thinking about,” Diaz admitted. “I’ve never organized (a race) before. It’s definitely been a little bit more difficult than I anticipated, but it’s been exciting.”

She hopes to drum up support from the local running community and has dreams of being able to hand this race off to others to keep it going in the future.

The 5k is being held two days before the official start of high school sports practice across the state on Monday, Aug. 12. As it stands, the AHS runners are scheduled to open their season on Saturday, Aug. 24, at the Basalt Longhorn Invitational at Crown Mountain Park.

“We are hoping to maybe get a few people from the team to volunteer or also run in it, just as a preseason race type of thing,” Diaz said. “We’ve had help from the coaches and my teammates have all pitched in and offered to volunteer. Even though it’s more of a school project, we are trying to involve the team.”

Cost to race is $40 for adults and $25 for children. All ticket proceeds will go to Challenge Aspen.

To sign up in advance or to volunteer, go to msha.ke/5k4good.

BHS to host concert with contestant from ‘The Voice’

The Basalt High School athletics department will host singer Gyth Rigdon, who was runner-up on Season 16 of NBC’s The Voice, on Thursday, Aug. 8, at The Tipsy Trout in Basalt. The concert is a fundraiser for the BHS athletes.

Doors open at 5 p.m., and tickets include dinner, two drinks, and the concert. The BHS cheer team will have a parent’s night out, held at Basalt Middle School, so parents with young children can drop them off and enjoy a night to themselves.

Early-bird pricing is $125 per ticket and can be purchased here: gofan.co/event/1529412?schoolId=CO11652.

acolbert@aspentimes.com