Dear S&B,

When I read your article last week about “Selah to celebrate Grinnell Community,” I must admit my contentment to see the caption of “Party boasts funding raising red short run.” As an organizer of the Hoofin’ It 5K event, I was elated to read about the coverage of the event along side with Selah. However, my enthusiasm steadfastly flagged as the perusal of the entire article informed me about “a 5K Red Short Run fundraiser, named for Osgood’s infamous jogging attire.” Although I clearly recognized that the article focused primarily on Selah, the complete abridgement and recognition of Mortar Board’s efforts for Hoofin’ it 5K, if I may opine, was definitively disappointing.

As part of the national college senior honor society, the Grinnell College Chapter seeks to encourage social justice and community service for Grinnell community. This year marked the 6th annual recurrence of the Mortar Board’s Hoofin’ It 5K. The goals of the Hoofin’ It 5K race are 1) to consciously fight poverty by raising money for Mid-Iowa Community Action Group (MICA), which provides locally fresh produce to poor families and Heifer International, which donates sustainable gifts of livestock to the poor in 115 countries around the world, 2) to encourage health and fitness in the Grinnell community, and 3) this year, we collaborated with College and Alumni Relation for the Red Short Run.

Admittedly, the Hoofin’ It 5K committee is very thankful for the opportunity to collaborate with College and Alumni Relation to incorporate the honoring aspect of our current president, Russell K. Osgood. Their assistance of placing our registration form on the Selah website and providing the red shorts for the event was greatly appreciated. However, I would like to clarify that the extensive planning and efforts reposed solely on the 30 Mortar Board volunteers that orchestrated the Hoofin’ It 5K event. Ranging from the logistical aspects of composing an elaborate contractual proposal, seeking City and County’s Approvals, obtaining insurance for the participants, to the multifaceted labors of informing every family along the route, investing over $2100 in awards, food and t-shirts, this 3-month undertaking was utterly disparaged in the simple “5K Red Short Run fundraiser.” Neither the Mortar Board nor the Hoofin’ It Committee was even cursorily mentioned.

At the risk of sounding like a finicky curmudgeon, I must still assert my chagrin at the negligent curtailment of the event. I apologize for the callous run-on monologue (which must surely comprise of several dangling modifiers given my current sleep-deprivation), but I seek only to forefend the assiduity and the dedication of many volunteers for this poverty issues charity event.

Love and kittens,

­—Jacques Ambrose ’10, Mortar Board Vice President and Hoofin’ It 5K Co-chair