Run/Walk to Benefit Students and Programs as Community College of Philadelphia Celebrates 40 Years

PHILADELPHIA, PA, September 20, 2004 - Saturday, October 2, 2004, Philadelphians will take strides to ensure higher education remains accessible to all those who may benefit. Proceeds from Set the Pace to Educate, an 8K Run, 2-Mile Walk, 2-Mile Pet 'n' Pal Walk, will benefit the students and programs of Community College of Philadelphia. SoccerRoo, mascot of the Philadelphia KiXX, is scheduled to appear.

Some 300 runners and walkers are expected to gather on West River Drive for an 8:30 a.m. start. They will include current and past faculty, current students and alumni reaching back to the first graduating class, as the College celebrates its 40th anniversary. Since its founding in 1964 as the City's only public institution of higher education, more than 482,000 students have been served by the College.

Set the Pace to Educate is one response to decreased State funding. With more than 40,000 students currently enrolled in credit and non-credit courses, the College is the largest institution of higher education in Philadelphia as noted in the Philadelphia Business Journal.

Participants available for interview

Aileen Emperado: Emperado, who has completed two semesters and is entering the diagnostic medical imaging (DMI) program, is the youngest of three siblings who have begun their secondary educations at the College. Emperado plans to study nuclear medicine at Thomas Jefferson University after earning her associate degree.

Marline Paramour: TRIO Student Support Services Director Paramour has personal experience at the College as a student, instructor and lead administrator for a program that reaches 225 students each year. After earning her associate degree in one of the first graduating classes at the College, Paramour went on to earn a bachelor's and masters' degrees in secondary English education/reading at Temple University and masters' in science and philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania.

Steve Simons: Simons began his higher education with an associate degree in 1975 at the College and went on to LaSalle University to earn a bachelor's degree, as well as a master's degree in business administration. In addition to a successful career in the investment industry, Simons serves at the College as an adjunct professor in the Marketing Department and as a member of the Foundation board.

Erica Smith: A part-time student in the College's culture, science and technology curriculum, Smith is planning to pursue nursing with an emphasis on geriatric healthcare. Her career choice is based on an interest in improving the quality of life for the elderly, as well as practical personal goals including job security and financial independence.

Event details

Name of race: Set the Pace to Educate
Date/start time: Saturday, October 2, 2004/8:30 a.m.
Location: Philadelphia, PA; West River Drive
Contact name: Kim Iapalucci @ 215-751-8082
Other info: Proceeds benefit the students and programs of Community College of Philadelphia