District attorney Don Quick took a sip of his water, a single bead of sweat trickling down his forehead. Beside him, former Jefferson County district attorney Dave Thomas smiled triumphantly.
The two had just participated in the Nellie Mae Scholarship Scuttle 5K race that was held at Washington Park on Sunday morning.
The race was presented by the Student Bar Association, and the proceeds will go towards Sturm College of Law student scholarships.
“I am glad to be here,” said Quick, the district attorney for Adams and Broomfield counties. “It’s for a great cause.”
“I feel terrific,” added Thomas. “A run is what you need on a beautiful spring morning like this.”
The turnout for the inaugural event was impressive.
350 runners and walkers pre-registered and a substantial number of walk-ins on the day of the race, according to public interest law group representative Jason Astle.
“I’m really excited about the turnout,” said Heather Gwinn, who organized the event and expected around two hundred participants. “Everything went really well.”
The scholarship run was an effort to raise money for law students who have already graduated and are involved in public interest law.
DU’s Loan Repayment Assistance Program, or LRAP, offsets the ratio of large loans with low salaries to encourage law students to work for the public sector.
Public interest positions, typically for underprivileged communities, often pay about one-half of the salary of private sector jobs.
Law graduates can have as much as $100,000 in student debt, which is difficult to repay with a low salary.
The race was a USA track and field certified course and a Bolder Boulder qualifying run, meaning that the participants would receive a certificate for the 3.1 miles that they completed to participate in the 10K race in Boulder on May 30.
The race began at 10 a.m. and everyone received a t-shirt, goodie bag and lunch after finishing.
The top two males and females in seven different age categories received awards, as well as the group that organized the most members.
There was also a kid’s sprint at 11 a.m., and all children received ribbons.
“It’s great that they get everyone together and encourage people to work for public interest organizations,” said Melissa Elder, a DU alumnus.
