By Marin Murray, News Editor
It might have been dark outside, but the Hickingbotham Family track was aglow as participants in Laps for Honduras were scattered around the track, getting in exercise and partaking in fellowship while supporting a good cause. A group of students from Dr. Johan Eriksson’s Entrepreneurial Mindset class hosted Laps for Honduras on Wednesday, Nov. 5, raising over $500 to support a team of students who will travel to Honduras over spring break for a mission trip.
“It was super cool seeing everyone come out and support such a good cause,” senior Kate Nachtigal, one of the event’s organizers, said. “I’m just glad that everyone had fun at Laps for Honduras.” Over 90 students, faculty and members of the Arkadelphia community attended the fundraising event, where they could pay $3 to walk or run laps on the track. The event was an assignment for class, teaching them important lessons while giving them purpose in their fundraising endeavors.
“We do a lot of things besides this project, but the majority of the class involves this project,” Nachtigal said. “Basically, we have to create a fundraising event for the mission trip to Honduras. It’s a super cool way to be involved in it.” All of the proceeds from the lapathon will go toward supplies for building houses, which is one of the main goals for the mission trip team, which is led by Dr. Eriksson.
“The people who are going will help build houses in Honduras,” Nachtigal said. “Even though I won’t be able to go, being able to serve and help in a different way by having an actual mission for this fundraiser was really neat.” The impact of building a house for a family goes beyond just having a place to live – it can lead to improved health, economic and educational opportunities. This profound effect gave greater purpose to this fundraiser and the other events that groups in the class have organized. “A really cool thing that they are going to be able to do is to build houses for people, which will change their lives completely,” Nachtigal said. “They will also have the opportunity to spread the gospel while they do it.”
Not only did this event bring attention to the reality of homelessness in Honduras and the goals of the upcoming mission trip, but it also allowed students to support their peers in a unique way that promoted fitness and fellowship at the same time. “It was sweet to see so many people doing it,” sophomore Kate Holden said. “It’s cool that students want to support a good cause and want to support other students getting to go on a mission trip.”
Holden, along with sophomores Jada Harrell and Marin Murray and freshman Landry Lay, ran a half-marathon on the track that night as they took part in the event. Fifty-two laps on the track was no easy task, but the group made the most of the goal they had set for themselves as they supported the cause. “It was really fun, because there were people all around,” Holden said. “Some were walking or running just for fun. There were people who were cheering us on, and there were people who would randomly join in and start doing parts with us, which was really sweet.”
At the conclusion of the night, all of the participants were entered into a drawing based on the number of laps they completed and received goody bags, thanking them for taking part in the event. “Seeing how many people were excited to come made me super excited,” Nachtigal said. “I didn’t know if people would like the idea or even come out, but a ton of people ended up coming. It was neat to see the community of Ouachita come out for this cause.”
The team is still selling shirts and sweatshirts in another effort to support those going on the mission trip. They also have a text-to-give program set up where people who text “laps4houses” to 41444 can continue to donate to the cause until the end of the semester.
