FREEPORT – The Freeport High School Interact Club, with a major assist from Olympia Sports and other businesses, raised $1,000 for the Freeport Community Services fuel assistance fund, during the Moonlight Madness Fun Run late Thanksgiving night.

The mile run around town began at 11:45 p.m. and the last runner finished less than 20 minutes later, just as businesses in town began their Moonlight Madness sales, which lasted until 3 a.m. Friday. Olympia Sports provided a room for Interact Club members to conduct registrations, and set up a timing station.

The Freeport High School Interact Club is part of an international service organization run through Rotary clubs.

Ethan Pierce, a Freeport High junior and third-year member of the Interact Club, said that club members asked businesses for money to cover the costs of the Fun Run, including having police on duty and T-shirts for the approximately 100 runners who participated. Donations above and beyond costs, as well as registration fees, amounted to the $1,000.

“So all of the proceeds went to the fuel assistance fund,” Pierce said. “It was really cool. This is our big local event of the year. It’s a good local event for the Interact Club.”

Pierce, on the Interact Club Leadership Team for the first year, was among the club members who took registrations at Olympia Sports. Runners started out there, went down School Street, made a loop back up around to Main Street and finished where they started. Santa is always a big part of the event, too, leading the runners onto the course on his Harley motorcycle.

“I greeted and cheered people at the finish line,” Pierce said. “It was really fun. I had a blast. It was an awesome event.”

Dede Bennell, an adviser for the Interact Club, said that the contribution of Olympia Sports is essential to the fundraiser. Bennell and Dana Clark, another club adviser, were on hand, as well. Bennell said she went home at 12:40 a.m., but some of the students stuck around to shop.

“The students did most of the work,” Bennell said. “They were great. Then the stores opened up at midnight. Music played on loudspeakers. It was very festive.”

Santa leads the pack as runners get ready to go on Main Street in Freeport late Thanksgiving night as they begin the Moonlight Madness Fun Run. Thomas Esponnette, Henry Jacques and Willson Moore were the top three male finishers, while Mariah Vitali, Heidi King and Abbi King were the top three females. The run kicked off an early morning shopping event, as well.