BIDDEFORD – More than 200 runners braved rain and cold to participate in a 5K race to benefit STEM programs at Biddeford Middle School on Sunday morning.
STEM classes at Biddeford Middle School can help formulate potential careers in science, technology, engineering and math for students, said Gert Webber, a STEM teacher at BMS and one of the organizers of the STEM 5K and Candy K race for kids.
“This is just the second time that we’ve done this,” Webber said. “We are going to raise more than $3,000 and it all goes to the STEM program at Biddeford Middle School.”
Webber said BMS offers a three-year comprehensive STEM program for students at the school and is a precursor to STEM classes offered at Biddeford High School.
“STEM is huge at our school and parents are some of our biggest cheerleaders for the program,” Webber said.
One of Sunday’s STEM 5K runners said her interest in STEM subjects was developed by taking STEM classes at the middle school.
Elizabeth Mills, a sophomore at Biddeford High School, said she is taking STEM classes at Biddeford High and wanted to show her support for middle-school STEM classes by running in the STEM 5K.
“I ran in this race several years ago and think it’s a great way to support STEM programs,” Mills said. “I’m also on the cross country team at Biddeford High School so I’m happy to be out here today.”
Webber said BMS students were involved in all aspects of planning the details for the race. Students helped in marketing, course design, fundraising and officiating committees and designed and built decorations for the Candy K course. Student volunteers were out at the school at 9 a.m. helping to set up for the races and stayed after the races ended to assist in cleaning up.
One of those volunteers was BMS seventh-grader Lily Morse.
“This 5K raises money for field trips so that’s why I wanted to be here to help,” Morse said. “I was up at 7 a.m, and out here by 9 a.m. today. The best part of volunteering is meeting all of the people and then seeing them compete in the race.”
According to Webber, proceeds from the STEM 5K and Candy K races will be used by the STEM program at the middle school to pay for field trips and to purchase engineering equipment for students.
The Candy K race was a 1-kilometer fun run for children ages 10 and under and included candy give-aways and games after the run. Most of the participants wore costumes and when the event was over, lined up to take part in the STEM 5K.
The race course for the STEM 5K began on the BMS athletic field, traveled through the woods surrounding the school, across the campus of Biddeford Intermediate School and then returned to the finish line at the BMS athletic field south of the school.
Race participants paid $10 per person to enter and the first 100 runners who registered received an event T-shirt.
Major sponsors for the STEM 5K race were Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution, Sugar, Fence Tech and Paradigm Windows.
— Executive Editor Ed Pierce can be reached at 282-1535 or by email at editor@journaltribune.com
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