Colts Neck students organize special 5K

All runners are invited to take part in March 29 event at high school

BY REBECCA MORTON Staff Writer

COLTS NECK — Safe driving practices are essential to keep drivers of all ages alive. To help raise awareness about the importance of safe driving, a group of six seniors at Colts Neck High School are working to organize the Keep the Kids Alive 5K run on March 29 at the school, Route 537 and Five Points Road.

The day will begin with registration at 9 a.m. A 1-mile children’s run will begin at 10:30 a.m. and the 5-kilometer run/walk will begin at 11 a.m.

Registration on the day of the event will be $30, with a $2 discount for USATF, FARC, JSRC, ORC and SAC members. Registration for the children’s run is $15. Proceeds will benefit the Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 (KKAD25).

Cash prizes will be awarded for the top three male and female finishers overall and in the masters division. The race will be run on a flat, fast USATF-NJ certified course. There will be music, raffles and prizes after the race.

The event has already signed up several sponsors, including Teachers Auto Insurance Company of New Jersey, High Point Auto Insurance, the Graeme Preston Foundation for Life, Dickinson Brands Inc. and Shebell and Shebell attorneys at law.

“Teachers Auto Insurance Company of New Jersey is a major sponsor because we have a commitment to promoting safe driving in all New Jersey communities. We are proud to work with the Colts Neck High School seniors and KKAD25 in their mission to enforce responsible driving practices in New Jersey’s residential areas,” said Marc V. Buro, president of the company.

“For several years now Teachers Insurance has partnered with KKAD25 to promote safe driving and to raise awareness of the dangers of speeding in residential neighborhoods. Working with KKAD25, we have helped launch numerous local safety campaigns across the state,” Buro added.

The six young women who are organizing the event are seniors in the Freehold Regional High School District’s Law and Public Service Learning Center at Colts Neck High School. The students are Briana Jackucewicz, Morgan Clark, Tracey Vill, Nicole Lupo, Chelsea Hancock and Courtney Joline.

The girls had to design a service-learning project as required by the Law and Public Service program in which they are enrolled. The six young women decided to take the opportunity and attempt to better their community by promoting safe driving.

“As a group, we had to work hard to make this race a success. We gained learning experiences in business and earned support from the community. We put what we learned in the classroom to work in a reallife experience, and really enjoyed ourselves in the process,” Brianna said.

Colts Neck Principal Keith Land said he is proud of the work that the students in the school district’s specialized learning centers accomplish.

“Their ability to combine their passion for the sport of running with helping the community is above the norm among their peers. They have taken their education and brought relevance into their lives,” Land said in a press release.

Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 is a nonprofit organization founded in the summer of 1998 which targets through a safety campaign the observance of the residential speed limit, which in most towns and cities throughout the United States is 25 mph. There are 1,000 communities representing 47 states participating in KKAD25 campaigns. The mission of KKAD25 is to end all deaths and injuries caused by speeding on all roads.

For more information about the Colts Neck 5K on March 29, visit http://sites.google.com/site/keepkid salive5k/Home.