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Dragon Challenge raises $6.5K

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Stephan Coleman
  • 81st Training Wing Public Affairs
KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  The 5th annual Dragon Challenge held Oct. 10 at the Triangle Track raised $6,500, with more than 350 runners participating in the 14-hour event.

Proceeds from runner registration fees, extra donations, and merchandise sales by professional organizations went toward the Fisher House of Keesler.

"Teams were made up of 8-12 members with a registration fee of $100 per team," said Tech. Sgt. Travis Smith, 338th Training Squadron instructor. "Individual runners registered for $15 each. Some of the runners also made pledges with local businesses, having maybe 25 cents donated per mile."

For the teams of runners, there was no rest period for the 14-hour relay. One runner from each team would complete as many laps as possible before being replaced by a team member. In the case of individual runners, the goal was to get as many laps as they could, said Smith.

Trophies were given to members who completed the most laps, every four laps equaling a mile:

Most laps by an individual male - Tech. Sgt. Guadalupe Galindo, 335th TRS military training leader, with 212 laps.

Most laps by an individual female - Senior Airman Whitney Knipfer, 334th TRS technical training student, with 20 laps.

Most miles by a team - "Team Ly," made up of 335th TRS technical training students, with 480 laps.

The Dragon Challenge is typically a non-stop relay race event, but games and activities for families were also available this year. The event encouraged participation from the entire base, said Smith.

Many individual runners signed up for the personal challenge of the event and for the opportunity to support a good cause.

"My Dragon Challenge motivation was just to participate to the best of my ability in a fundraiser for the Fisher House," said Knipfer. "I was really motivated by the cause, and wanted to express that the best I could."

"I've run a handful of marathons and other shorter distance races in the past, but nothing longer than 26.2 miles, so this was to challenge myself and see how far I could go in the allotted time," said Joseph Harre, 81st Medical Support Squadron. "And it was all for the good cause of supporting the Fisher House.

The event was geared toward raising money and awareness for the Fisher House, which only runs on donation.   Fisher House is one of the agencies that benefits from the Combined Federal Campaign each year.

Some of the proceeds from the Dragon Challenge will go toward the building of a new Fisher House building on Keesler, as the current building is constantly booked, said Staff Sgt. Glenn Davis, 5/6 Fisher House representative.

"The Fisher House is a home away from home where active duty and retired military members and their families who are having surgeries or medical care can stay for free," said Davis.

There are 64 Fisher Houses at 23 military installations and 24 Veterans Affairs Medical Centers across the country.  Keesler's facility, managed by Larry Vetter, is the only Fisher House in Mississippi.

The Dragon Challenge, hosted by Smith and Tech. Sgt. Patricia Boydston of the 5/6 Council, ended with more than 2,567 total miles run and still has money coming in through pledges from local businesses.
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