Fourth Annual Butler-Wilson Community 5K This Saturday Benefits the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen

The fourth annual Butler-Wilson 5K run will be held at 10 a.m., this Saturday, Sept. 15, on the Princeton University campus. The race was first held in September 2009 to mark the opening of Princeton University’s new Butler and Wilson colleges.

Registration for the student-organized race, which is open to the public, is a $10 minimum donation to the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK). Early pre-registrants will receive a t-shirt and will be entered into a special raffle. Pre-registrants can also pay the registration fee by credit card through the event website. Check-in and same-day registration will begin at 9 a.m. The rain date for the race is Sunday, Sept. 16.

Butler and Wilson colleges are two of Princeton University’s six residential colleges and are sister colleges. The September 2009 race marked the opening of five new dormitory buildings as part of the redeveloped Butler College complex, as well as the renovation of the Wilson College dining hall, which included the creation of a new servery shared with the adjacent Butler College dining hall.

Since 2009, participants in the race have donated a total of nearly $5,000 and several boxes of food to TASK, an organization that provides free meals and services throughout the greater Trenton area.

“The 5K has become a much-anticipated perennial event and a Butler college favorite. It’s a great way to give to an important cause and get a healthy start to the semester,” said Sean Edington, a Butler resident graduate student who is organizing the race this year. “We’re thrilled that such a large group and so many local businesses come out to support TASK and enjoy a beautiful day racing around Princeton’s campus.”

The race will start at Butler’s Bloomberg Hall and traverse much of the campus, including the new Streicker Bridge over Washington Road and a lap around Princeton Stadium to view the new Frick Chemistry  Laboratory, before sweeping past Nassau hall and ending in front of the Butler College dormitories.

Walkers and runners are welcome to participate, and prizes will be awarded to the top male and female finishers. Raffles for prizes also will be held after the race. The event is sponsored by the Butler and Wilson college offices, and various Princeton area businesses.