Pro-Life Aggies at Texas A&M celebrated their 7th Annual “Run for Their Lives” 5K on February 25th, 2017.
With more than 200 runners (and walkers, joggers, strollers, babies, and pets) in attendance, the event was a vibrant mashup of athletic contest, fundraiser, and scholarship ceremony. The race began and ended with music, warmups, and cheers over a loudspeaker, and was followed by a raffle, medals for 1st-3rd place, and free food sponsored by Chick-Fil-A.
Attendees gathered in the grass during lunch to hear Claudia Turcott’s story of choosing Life for her daughter while in college, after walking out of an abortion operating room twice. That same daughter, Taylor Turcott, is now a recipient of Texas Right to Life’s Dr. Joseph Graham Fellowship, and she is the Meeting Coordinator of Pro-Life Aggies. Claudia and Taylor are wonderful witnesses to the fact that women can overcome the hardship associated with pregnancy in college, and that both mothers and their children can be successful amidst a crisis.
The Turcott’s story was the perfect transition to the crux of the 5K event: an award ceremony for the Pregnant & Parenting Student Scholarship, established by Pro-Life Aggies in 2010. This year, six young parents at Texas A&M, either currently pregnant or already raising their children, were selected to receive scholarships based on both merit and need, to assist with the new financial responsibilities of parenthood in addition to college. One mother was set to receive $1000, and five others were to receive $500 scholarships.
Allyson Hunter, the current Pro-Life Aggies president, announced a pleasant surprise to everyone in attendance that due to funds raised within the hour of the 5K, scholarship recipients were now each going to receive $1000. To cheers and plenty of high fives, each beaming mother posed for a photo with her oversized scholarship check and the leaders of Pro-Life Aggies.
After all the events, two of the founders of the Pregnant and Parenting Student Scholarship, Jennifer Rumpf and Veronica Arnold Smither, gathered all the current leaders for the annual reminiscent photo. Jennifer Rumpf led Pro-Life Aggies as the president in 2011, and is now months away from starting her residency program as an Ob-Gyn. Veronica Arnold Smither led Pro-Life Aggies as the president in 2010, and now works as the Education Director for Texas Right to Life. Both are avid, proud supporters of Pro-Life Aggies to this day.
The 2016-2017 officer team of Pro-Life Aggies.
Allyson Hunter presents a check to a scholarship recipient.
A scholarship recipient and her son.
Claudia Turcott with Veronica Arnold Smither and Taylor Turcott.
The crowd gathering to watch post 5K events.