JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – More than 1,500 runners participated in the Ortega River Run to raise money for students at the Episcopal School of Jacksonville on Saturday morning.
Runners cruised through the Ortega neighborhood for the five-mile run.
Recommended Videos
Beville Anderson is the Head of the Lower School at the Episcopal School of Jacksonville St. Mark’s Campus. All the money raised goes to financial aid for students who need it.
The school is for children from age one through the 5th grade and more than 350 students attend.
“People are incredibly grateful for the privilege of being able to be a part of this community because it is an incredible learning community and truly they have felt the gift of it,” Anderson said.
The goal of this year’s run was to raise at least $85,000 for students that would attend the school.
Eloise Markley is a 5th grader and her friend Hannah Ricci is a 4th grader. They talked about what they like about the school.
“All of the teachers are so kind,” Markley said. “It is like they are your family.”
“All of the friends that you make, if I moved to another area, I still have them because they were always so nice to me. It’s the friends and the relationships you can make,” Ricci said.
Beau Beaudreau finished first in the five-mile run. He said he’s grateful to give back and credits running for saving his life.
“I went through a really dark point in my life, a few years back during the pandemic and the lockdown,” Beaudreau said. “I found running. I lost my best friend and that was the one thing that really helped me find fulfillment and enjoyment just through daily life. It was something to focus on now I am just fixated on trying to be the best that I can.”
Beaudreau talked about why education is important and how he’s using running to make a difference.
“We need to focus in on the peace of education and giving the kids the best experience that they can,” Beaudreau said. “That is where they grow. That is where they kind of form their life habits, and build relationships, and learn how to be social with others.”
Anderson talked about what the students can learn outside of academics at the school.
“I know that these children are in an incredible learning experience where academics are important, but they are not the driver only. That is where they grow. That is where they form their life habits and build relationships, and learn how to be social with others,” Anderson said.