What's Happening in Westlake, OH…

Fairview Park residents kicked off the first Derby Dash in the city's history on Saturday, April 30.

The 5K race, which was designated a “healthy fundraiser” for the benefit of Gilles-Sweet Elementary School, took the place of a number of other fundraising events, such as selling candy bars and wrapping paper.

According to Allison Klodnick, a physical education teacher at Fairview and the coordinator of the event, the aim of the race was to create something that would bring everyone together, as well as bringing wellness and health to the community as a whole. The money raised will be used by classroom teachers to enhance the STEM curriculum. The acronym STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Dr. Bill Wagner, the superintendent, ran the race and said he liked the concept of one event instead of many. He also was happy to see the crowd, which numbered about 700 people and indicated the depth of support in the community for the race. Joe Shucofsky, a member of the board of education, said the turnout said a lot about the support of the district for its students and schools.

Event organizers could work with a flyer printing company on a mailer that describes this year's race, and asks residents to look for the event again next year.