By Martie Thompson
editor@floridanewsline.com
It was a typically warm and humid morning on Saturday, Aug. 17, the date of the eighth annual Mandarin High School Athletics, Alumni and Community 5k. According to the school’s athletic director, Brian Rado, close to 400 participants showed up for the run, which benefits all 37 varsity and junior varsity sports (to include more than 700 student athletes) at Mandarin High School.
“This year, Principal Sara Bravo and I were honored to have our new superintendent, Dr. Christopher Bernier, come out as the honorary starter of the event,” Rado said. “Participants started at the MHS track and then ran about a mile and a half down Greenland Road before turning around and heading back to the finish line at the track.”
Rado said that along the way, the band and cheerleaders played music and cheered for the runners, while the school’s ROTC manned the water stations. Many of the school’s teams and clubs ran in the race.
“It’s a festive atmosphere. We try to involve all the programs from the school in some way,” Rado said.
According to Rado, the race started as a way to highlight the school’s rivalry with Atlantic Coast High School, but by the next year, it had transitioned to being all about the Mustangs. In-kind sponsors like Crown Trophy and T5 Sportswear allow the school to use the race proceeds for its athletic teams. The event has gotten more popular each year as more and more alumni and community members participate.
“That’s the best part,” Rado said. “I enjoy the community and alumni participation and it’s fun to see this event that I have such passion for grow and take off. It’s a great event to get the school year started and we hope this annual tradition will continue for years to come for this school and the outstanding Mandarin community.”
Photo courtesy Cady Studios
Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier starting the race.