On Sunday, May 1, 2016, Trinity-Pawling School hosted visitors to campus to celebrate the greater Pawling community.” MayDay”, as it was named, was a fundraising event organized in conjunction with Mizzentop Day School and Pawling Central School to benefit two local charities: Ryan’s Foundation and The Pawling Resource Center. The fun-filled family day included activities for all. The main event for the day, a 7K “Extreme Cross Country” Race, was a challenging course consisting of mud and physical obstacles and travelled throughout the 180 acres of campus. Several faculty members participated in the race, including Maura Cody, Ben Kafoglis, and Scott Harff. “The Extreme 7k certainly lived up to its namesake,” Harff says. “I can say with full confidence that it was one of the most physically grueling races I have ever run in. My only complaint is that, due to the massive amount of mud, I had to retire my shoes after the race!” Ben Kafoglis agrees with Harff’s sentiments. “The race was great! The students along the course did an especially great job. I don’t think I could have made it without the students cheering me on.” Maura Cody concludes, “I was so inspired to run my first ever race to support a wonderful cause! It was fun to come together as a community to cheer each other on!” Aside from the Extreme 7K, another component of the day was a Food Drive that collected dry goods for the Pawling Resource Center.
Jay Kellogg, faculty member and organizer for MayDay, hopes that this will be an annual event. “The first ever MayDay was a tremendous day for Trinity-Pawling School and the Pawling community as a whole,” says Kellogg. “Though the weather certainly did not cooperate, the positive vibe on campus was not dampened by the cold or the rain!” Tralee McElroy, of Ryan’s Foundation, adds “I am beyond grateful to have been involved, and to see so many people come together in order to support Ryan’s Foundation and to keep my brother’s legacy and spirit alive. This will only continue to grow in size and continue to help local children with life threatening illnesses”.
Special thanks goes out to those who made generous donations to ensure the day was full of fun and good food: Durant’s Party Rentals, Culinart, Clock Tower Grill, and Brewster Pastry!
Be sure to check out photos from the day’s events here.