By William Midkiff
Louisiana Tech’s Kappa Delta sorority kicked off the morning of Saturday, March 19, with its annual Shamrock Run, a philanthropic event in which participants can compete in races, check out local vendors, and support two different charities helping to raise children in a healthy environment.
The event took place at the Lincoln Parish Park and included a 1-mile Fun Run and a 5K run, as well as a lane of vendor tables, at which local businesses could promote and sell their products. All proceeds from runner registration will be given to Kappa Delta’s two partner charities.
Louisiana Tech’s Kappa Delta President Avery Jeffcoat said she believes the event was a great success for both the participants and the charities.
“I think the guests loved it, and we were able to raise over $40,000 for the Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home and Prevent Child Abuse America, which are our two philanthropies that are super near and dear to our hearts,” Jeffcoat said.
Runners Harrison Dougherty and James Clack participated in the 5K race, both with positive experiences to share.
“It was a lot of fun,” Clack said. “I wasn’t really prepared for all the hills, but once you got into the rhythm of it, it was alright.”
Dougherty added that the runners’ positivity was a plus.
“You couldn’t ask for better weather to run in,” Dougherty said. “Great environment, great atmosphere as well. The atmosphere is awesome, tons of people.”
The two races at the Shamrock Run had over 400 registered runners in total, traversing all throughout the park on their runs. After the completion of the 5K, awards were announced, three of which were won by women in the McLean family.
Surprisingly, none of these McLeans practiced distance running in preparation for this event, but their performances speak for themselves. This family didn’t attend Shamrock for the competition though, keeping a light-hearted spirit about the event.
“We wanted to come and support KD, and we love the work that they’re doing with this charity,” Ashley McLean said.
This also isn’t their first venture to the annual Kappa Delta event.
“Last year’s was so fun, I loved last year’s,” Macy McLean said. “One of the best, most fun 5Ks I’ve ever been to.”
Louisiana Tech’s Kappa Delta Vice President McKinley Sherman is the one who oversaw the entire event, but she had her dedicated Shamrock team to back her up.
“It’s such a team effort,” Sherman said. “We plan the race, we make sure that vendors have everything they need, all the forms are filled out correctly, and everything goes smoothly.”
Jeffcoat said she believes that the team’s efforts were a great success this year.
“We’re so thankful for McKinley and her team, because they spent countless hours just sitting down, planning out every detail to make this event happen today,” Jeffcoat said. “I really think that it paid off so well.”
Another important aspect of the event is the opportunity for local businesses to show up and show their support, as well as put their own brands out there. One such business is Haley Marie’s Vanity, owned by Bossier-based bridal makeup artist Haley Gould.
Gould was promoting her own makeup line in the vendor lane at Shamrock, and was excited to be able to participate for the second year in a row.
“I did it last year, and it was so much fun and so successful, so I was like, ‘Of course, I’d love to be a part of it this year,’” Gould said. “So yeah, it was a really awesome event and a good turnout.”
Although her business is relatively mobile, her trips to Ruston are always a highlight for her.
“I love the town of Ruston, and everyone’s always been super welcoming to me when I come in,” Gould said.
The Shamrock Run was a definite success, and Sherman said she is glad that the focus of the event always stays on the community, not the sorority.
“I think Shamrock shows a lot about how Ruston is different from a lot of other places,” Sherman said. “The people are willing to come and willing to donate, and willing to be there and run and show support. It doesn’t happen in a lot of bigger places. You can just see that there’s a different type of community in Ruston — people want to help.”
