There’s nothing like the feeling of wind rushing through your hair, feet moving in rhythm, heart beating wildly. There’s nothing quite like running – especially when the exercise isn’t just to keep your body in shape, or to burn off some steam. Students at St. Paul Academy and Summit School have run for issues like eating disorders and cancer in the hopes that their efforts will help raise awareness, bringing light to causes that the public may not know much about.

“[Running for a cause] is an effective way [to raise awareness] because people can see them running, and it can draw their attention to something they might not have known about before then,” sophomore Matthew Jaeger said. Jaeger hasn’t participated in any runs for a cause, but the cause he wants the most to run for is breast cancer. He believes that a lack of access to local charity runs is part of the problem for students who don’t participate.

Although there are countless runs and walks for causes planned every year in Minnesota alone, finding one within a reasonable driving distance poses a fairly daunting challenge. A few events that are located relatively closer to the Twin Cities during the summer include the Stop the Trafficking 5K walk/run, the Walker Methodist 5-10K walk/run, and the St. Jude walk/run.

The Stop the Trafficking 5K is an event in Eden Prairie that aims to raise awareness about human trafficking. This event requires a $20 fee, and participants can sign up on the day of the race (Jun. 7). Dry fit t-shirts, beverages, live music, and informational booths from local anti-trafficking organizations will also be present for the run/walkers.

The Walker Methodist 5-10K is hosted by the Walker Methodist foundation, which specializes in providing older adults with lifestyle, housing and healthcare services. This event will occur in Minneapolis on Jun. 6, and refreshments, t-shirts, and prizes will be given to participants.

Although the St. Jude walk/run occurs at the beginning of the next school year (Sept. 19), students can still help raise money to end childhood cancer for a registration fee of only 10$. The funds will go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospitals, and help pay the bills for the treatment, travel, housing, and food for the families that have children with cancer.

Freshman Ellie Findell participated in a walk for eating disorders at the Mall of America, with the NEDA (National Eating Disorder Association). “We started at the top of the mall and we had shirts that said NEDA,” Findell said.

“People don’t really understand what eating disorders are…[the walks are] good because it’s having everyday people come out of their lives and do things for other people.” In Findell’s experience, the interactivity of the runs makes them more effective.

Findell was researching online about walks for eating disorders when she found this opportunity, and she described the experience as “rewarding, to know that you’re doing something for a cause that’s affecting a lot of people,” she said. Findell also encourages other students to take initiative and register for these runs/walks for a cause. “It doesn’t even have to be that much…you’d be surprised how many walks there are for things like diabetes. [It’s important to] get involved, it just takes a couple of hours,” she said.

Jaeger hasn’t seen a lot of students participate in runs, or walks for a cause. “People would probably be too lazy [to run for a cause], they would be willing to buy from a bake sale but they don’t want to go out and run,” he said.

However, as Jaeger said, the people that have the knowledge, access, and most importantly, the motivation to go to the runs/walks exhibit “[a willingness] to do more than buy a cupcake at a bake sale, they’re willing to work to spread awareness.”