Staff ReportSEBASTIAN — Sebastian River High School’s cross country program has 13 girls and 11 boys ready to run, but in light of district-wide budget cuts which have hit extracurricular programs hard, the teams are hosting a 5K run on Monday to pay for transportation, uniforms and coaches’ salaries.About 30 runners have pre-registered for this first-year event, to be held on the grounds of Sebastian River High School. Since the school is hoping to raise $7,000 from the event, organizer Carol Dunphey said she is counting on a good turnout of last-minute runners to meet that goal.”I’m hoping for a lot of people coming out on Monday,” she said. Those wishing to register on-site should arrive by 7 a.m. The registration fee is $25 per person and the school will accept cash or checks, but no credit cards. Volunteers will be on hand to direct runners in from the front gate of the school as the race will actually start on one of the soccer fields at 8 a.m.Dunphey, who coaches the girls’ team but is not a teacher at the school, said several local business owners, including Bill Urban of Runner’s Depot, have contributed seed money to get the race going.This is not the race for the runner who wants to leave with a goodie bag filled with prizes and a t-shirt. The scaled-down event is simply to help foster cross-country running at Sebastian River High School and is for participants who want to enjoy a morning of fresh air and good exercise. Trophies will only be awarded to the top two male and female runners.”Everything raised goes directly for the cross-country team and every bit is helping,” she said. “We’re one of the few sports that does not have a booster’s club, which is why we’re doing this.”The cross-country season started in August and runs through the end of October, with districts and other post-season activities continuing through Thanksgiving.Sebastian River High School is located at 9001 Shark Boulevard in Sebastian. For more information, call Carol Dunphey at (772) 532-5771.
