Join the 16th Annual James Island Connector Run

Written By: Levena Lindahl

The 16^th annual James Island Connector Run (JICR) will take place on Saturday, November1^st at 8:30 a.m. with races for runners, walkers and bikers in 10 and 5K distances.  Affectionately called the ‘other’ bridge run’, the JICR run was founded by the Gavalas Kolanko Foundation, with the goal of fundraising to help provide college scholarships to students with physical disabilities in the area.  This year, three Trident Technical College students joined the ranks of students to receive scholarships from the Foundation. Meagan Orton was one TTC student recipient this year, and is featured in this video that was aired September 29^th on Live at 5 news. 

The Gavalas Kolanko Foundation started in 1999, after Nicholas Gavalas and Dr. Ronald Kolanko became aware of the issues that faced physically disabled youth in the Charleston area, especially in terms of paying for college.  Since the Foundation’s creation, they have given out 95 scholarships to students in six different area colleges, including Trident Technical College, and they have raised over $500,000.  The James Island Connector Run is their signature event, and is a major fundraising time for the Foundation.  To find out more about the Gavalas Kolanko Foundation and the work they do, please click here.

The James Island Connector Run is incredibly scenic while providing a challenge for runners, walkers and those riding bikes. The race itself will overlook the Ashley River and the historic downtown peninsula of Charleston. The 5K also has the distinction of being the only point to point race in South Carolina and goes directly over the James Island Connector that gives the run its name. After the race there will be a post-race festival held in Cannon Park.  This will include music, refreshments, food, and a Beer Garden.  There will also be cash awards for the top five male and female finishers for the 5 and 10Ks, with prizes for course records as well.

If you or your club is interested in participating, you can join the “Trident Technical College Student Organizations” Team!  The registration fee is $35 a person between from May 2^nd
until October 31^st and $40 on the day of the race.  However, there is a special promotion for TTC at $20 a person from September 29^th until October 13^th.   To get this promotional rate, enter the code “TTC14” when you register for the race. If racing isn’t your thing, perhaps you would like to volunteer!  Volunteers are needed for all aspects of the race, and any help is always welcome.  To see a promotional video on what you can do as a volunteer, please click here.