University students and Baton Rouge community members came together Saturday morning to walk, run and raise money for music programs in local grade schools.
The University’s Sigma Alpha Iota music fraternity hosted a five-kilometer run and one-mile fun run. Participants paid to run in the race, and the fraternity will use that money to help local schools get the music supplies they need.
Casey Medlin, a music sophomore and event coordinator, said the fraternity asked local schools to make “Wish Lists” for items such as music stands, sheet music and other basic music necessities.
Participants met at 10 a.m. Saturday in front of University Recreation and set off around the LSU lakes.
Winners of the one-mile and five-kilometer races received gift certificates from local businesses such as Mr. Gatti’s and Smoothie King.
The winner of the five-kilometer run was David Mills, a second-year law student. He said he was glad the Baton Rouge Community and Sigma Alpha Iota were coming together for a good cause.
“It’s a chance for us to stay in shape and help people,” he said.
Sara Lynn Baird, the associate dean of the College of Music and Dramatic Arts, placed second in the one-mile run. She said she was excited about the fund-raiser.
“It’s a very worthy cause and a great group sponsoring,” she said.
Laurence Hebert, a music junior, said while he had never run around the LSU lakes before, he was glad he was able to participate in a fund-raiser for local music programs.
“I don’t think we have enough arts in the school programs,” he said. “It will always help.”