The Cross Country team held its annual Lunar Launch on Monday, Sept. 28. The event itself is on Delmar Rd., where sponsors, usually parents, siblings and neighbors of the team, who bought t-shirts run 238 meters up the hill. The team accepts donations for the t-shirts in the time leading up to the event.
The Lunar Launch is one of the team’s main fundraisers and according to varsity coach Tricia Beaham, raised about $3,000 this year. The money will be used for various team funds like travel expenses and gear like rollers, yoga mats and blocks.
“The distance from the earth to the moon is 238,000 miles, too far for anyone to run! So we shortened it to 238,000 millimeters, which converts to 238 meters,” Beaham said in an email interview. “It’s always run under the full moon. Hence the name Lancer Lunar Launch.”
The event is also an opportunity for the team and the community to have fun and build camaraderie. At the end of the run is a party with lots of food and glow sticks, since it is at night in order to literally be under the full moon.
“I enjoyed bonding with my teammates, especially the upperclassmen,” said JV runner Scout Rice. “Everyone looked like they were having fun with all their glow stuff on, like glow sticks and light up rings.”