Portland's Red Lizard Running Club and the Foot Traffic running store put on a fantastic benefit event for 20 Marshall High school track and field athletes on Thursday, April 1.Through generous discounts offered by all the major running shoe brands, the proceeds from the Red Lizard Five Miler race were able to pay for new shoes for all members of the Marshall team.

"In the past, proceeds from from our race were given to the school that showed up with the most supporters," explains Red Lizard Five Miler Race Diretor, Torrey Lindbo. "This year the club wanted to find a way to benefit students who really need the support and might not be able to afford to run a race to raise funds for their school. I think we have come up with a great way to do just that."

In addition to training shoes, students were also able to help themselves to a pile of spike bags, shirts, and pairs of spikes which were generously donated by Nike, adidas, Mizuno, and the Red Lizards. "For the first year of doing this event, I think this event was a huge success," states Foot Traffic owner, Sean Rivers. "We really enjoyed having the students here; they were a great group of kids."

Sarah Scholl, a Red Lizard member who was on hand to help support the students, summarized the event well: "I think everyone was so overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity. They're obviously good kids and really trying to do something good for themselves. They all look like they support each other too, which I think is really cool. There were a couple of the guys who were really choked up when I told them to have a good season...it was more 'yeah, now we can'."

Brian Hansen, the Red Lizard Scholarship Fund coordinator, put together a fantastic event. Between coordinating with Marshall High coach Mollie Starr on logistics, working with Foot Traffic to make sure proceeds from the race would cover shoe costs, coming up with piles of giveaways for the students, and picking up a stack of pizza so the kids went home with dinner as well as some new shoes, Brian was instramental in making this event the success that it was. The soft spoken Hansen shrugs, "I think that went well." Indeed it did, and the Red Lizards are looking forward to making the race and Scholarship Fund benefit bigger and better next year.

The entire Marshall squad wasn't able to make it out for this event, but Foot Traffic is keeping a roster at their store so that the other athletes can still get their shoes.

Photos from event can be found here: http://redlizards.smugmug.com/Events/20100401-Marshall-High-Track/11697526_zqsWm#825373454_GHbY9

- Courtesy of

Torrey Lindbo
Red Lizard Five Miler Race Director and Media Director
[email protected]
503-705-6392