When 16-year-old Derek Bolser woke up at 5 a.m. Sunday and put on his size 11.5 bright yellow Nike Mayfly running shoes, he only planned to compete in one race: the 26.2-mile marathon relay for the 2010 Five Points of Life Race Weekend.
But after his team took first place in the relay, his friend convinced him and eight other runners to add 5 kilometers to their day.
Bolser and his friend Rae Powers, a hostess at The Swamp Restaurant, were two of 127 participants in Heart for Haiti, a 5K run and walk sponsored by the The Swamp.
Starting at 2 p.m., the race followed a 3.17-mile course down West University Avenue. Registration cost $10.
One hundred percent of the proceeds from Sunday's race, as well as 10 percent of the day's restaurant sales, will be donated to Partners in Health, which was recognized by NBC News as one of the top three relief organizations for Haiti.
Gators United for Haiti executive board members, Sky Georges, president, and Ashton Charles, Student Government Senate president, were in attendance.
"We heard about the event and decided to reach out to them," Georges said. "But at the same time, they were trying to reach out to us, so it was very cool."
Both Georges and Charles were excited to team up with The Swamp for the opportunity to get closer to their goal of raising $50,000 for Haiti, which the University Athletic Association has promised to match. So far they have raised about $20,000.
"We're just really thankful for all the support," Georges said. "We're trying to raise the money as fast as we can, so we're just asking everyone to support us in any way that they can."
Kathleen Williams, the restaurant's office and events manager, began planning the event immediately after hearing about the disaster in Haiti. She and The Swamp management team had been told by students that relief efforts on campus were lacking a unified activity. They wanted to give students and customers a place to gather together and give back, while having fun.
Bolser and Powers, winners of the male and female divisionsof the race, each received a $50 Swamp gift card, Williams said.
"I don't know why we chose a race," she said. "Maybe because it sounded healthy and outdoorsy. It just seemed like the right thing to do."
