Fun Run Raises $60K for Menlo Park Schools

Students, parents, and school administrators ran around Menlo Park, California on Sunday to raise money for schools in the Menlo Park City School District.

The 5K that they ran was previously known as the Oak Knoll Otter Run, and focused on raising money for Oak Knoll Elementary School.

“This year we expanded it to go district wide,” said Clint Chao, co president of the Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation, which financially supports the Menlo Park City School District through a variety of fundraising endeavors such as this event.  This is the 19th year the run has taken place. 

Families with students enrolled at Oak Knoll, Hillview Middle, Encinal, and Laurel Schools participated in the event, along with school principals and Menlo Park Police. People of all skill levels walked, ran, and pushed strollers around Oak Knoll in two loops that added up to five kilometers, or 3.1 miles.   

More than 1,500 people participated in the event, which was rebranded this year as the “are you in Run for education.” Last year, about 400 people participated in the event.  

“It was fantastic to see so many people in the event. It’s a testament to the amount of interest in fitness in this community,” Chao told Patch. Local businesses such as Bulldog Sports and Fitness, the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and Dr. Scott Kaloust sponsored the event, raising $60,000 in corporate sponsorships for the district.

Each event participant also paid an entry fee to run in the race. The final amount of those contributions is still being tallied.

“The hope is that in future years we can compliment those sponsorships with larger regional sponsors who want to tap into this community,” Chao said. 

After the 5k participants concluded the course, they gathered in the parking lot of Oak Knoll Elementary School to have food, water, and family time.

For more information about the Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation,visit their website.

Photos coming soon.