Jamia Collins/Courtbouillon
Last year’s winner Toren Arnold, dances to the finish line this year to place second over. 

NEW ORLEANS (Nov. 9, 2017) – The annual UNCF 5K Walk/Run for Education has exceeded its goal of $110,000, and donations are still coming in, according to spokeswoman Julie Gable.

More than 400 students and 30 faculty, staff and friends of Dillard University participated in the Oct. 14 event at Audubon Park. Wanda Johnson of the Office of Development said DU participants collectively raised $22,135, up 3.7 percent from the $21,350 raised in 2016. Xavier University, a larger school, raised $47,250.

Cameron Sewell, a biomedical engineering freshman from Cincinnati, Ohio, and Briana Pace, a computer science junior from Junction City, Kan., were first-place winners in the men’s and women’s college divisions of the race. Both students attend Xavier. Sewell ran a time of 18:05 while Pace posted 23:00.

Last year’s first-place winners, DU track team members Sasha Newman and Toren Arnold ran again this year, with Arnold placing second and Newman fourth.

All proceeds from the event go directly to HBCU college funding.

Johnson said DU students receive community service hours for participating.

She said planning the pep rally offered a hint about the strong support for the event: “Based on the turnout, I had no doubt it would be successful.

“The bottom line is that our students benefit from this, and I cannot express that enough,” she added.