The first annual RunWV Brandi Bowen Scholarship 5K will be held at Cline Stansberry Stadium and Rails-to-Trails on Nov. 8. All the profits from this race will be donated to the Brandi Kay Bowen Scholarship Fund.

Brandi Bowen was a 2007 graduate of Doddridge County High School and a standout athlete at DCHS, but more importantly, she was a standout person. She was attending Glenville State College and running on their Cross Country and Track & Field teams when she lost her life in a tragic auto accident in February 2009.

Her parents have established the Brandi Kay Bowen Scholarship Fund to help carry on Brandi’s legacy. The fund will be managed by the Community Foundation of North Central West Virginia.

Organizers are hoping to make the “RunWV Brandi Bowen Scholarship 5K” an annual event to help the scholarship fund grow. But to accomplish this, help is needed from the local communities. Due to busy schedules and time frames, all local merchants may not have been contacted for sponsorships.

Donations from both businesses and individuals are needed to cover the cost of T-Shirts, trophies, and post-race refreshments.Anything received beyond that goes straight to the race profit which gets donated to the Scholarship fund. If your business has not been contacted, do not hesitate to make a sponsorship donation.

Organizers of the 5K would like to thank West Union Bank, Cornerstone Bank, Spencer Enterprises, Matt Alexander Atty., Cokeley & Associates PLLC, McCullough-Rogers Funeral Home, Family Dentistry in Salem, Yabba Dabba Doos, Mutschelknaus Enterprises, Spurgeon Funeral Home, Harbert Funeral Home, Ace Home Center, and Town & Country Hardware for making early sponsorship donations, and My Sister’s House and Greg Edgell of American General Life Insurance for pledging a later contribution.

Any business prefering to donate a gift card rather than cash, would also be appreciated as well. If enough gift cards and/or merchandise are donated, an auction may be planned in order to generate more money for the scholarship fund.

Donors who have made contributions valuing $25 or more by Oct. 22 will have their names placed on the back of the race T-Shirt to acknowledge their contribution to this scholarship fundraiser. Those wishing to mail in donations can make checks payable to: RunWV, HC 69 Box 4, West Union, WV 26456.