Golf team's efforts shine in charity run

by Audra Meiklejohn and Jeff Proctor

Daily Lobo

Junior UNM golfer Jay Reynolds single-handedly raised one-fifth of the proceeds for UNM's fourth-annual Run for Relief.

The Run for Relief is a fundraiser put on each fall by the UNM Student Lettermen's Association to raise money for children fighting cancer. More than 59 student athletes and supporters participated.

"This is something we've done for years," Reynolds said. "It's been an annual thing for the golf team."

Reynolds said he didn't participate last year because of a recurring back injury that also kept him off the golf course for much of his sophomore season.

But this year was an entirely different matter - Reynolds was tops in fund-raising among all participating UNM student athletes, bringing in $615 in donations. Fellow golfer Jim Anderson got enough pledges to come in second with $515.

Reynolds ran to the cause and sent out a mass e-mail to friends and family, asking for donations. His grandmother pledged $20 per mile and his grandfather made a $100 flat donation.

Other pledges, he said, came from his friends and their parents. In all, Reynolds received about 14 contributions.

"It adds up really fast, how much money you can raise," Reynolds said. "I was really surprised at how many pledges I got."

Reynolds, who said running isn't part of his normal exercise regimen because of the back injury, was able to muster four miles for the cause.

"I could've walked them if I had wanted to," he said. "But I decided to go ahead and run. I did it at a nice, leisurely pace - probably eight-minute miles or so."

Alumni relations associate director Kim Feldman said between Reynolds and Anderson, the golf team had the best team participation and raised the most money to donate.

"The golf team raised over $2,000," she said. "The entire men's golf team and the entire swim team were there."

Besides golf and swimming, UNM student athletes from the ski team, the track and cross country teams, the Student Athletic Trainers Association and the Physical Therapy Student Association were in attendance.

The run was on Nov. 9 and Reynolds led a UNM community that raised more than $3,075 and ran more than 254 collective miles. The money went to an endowment in Santa Fe, which will distribute it to families who are battling cancer.

Reynolds said the golf team earned top fund-raising honors by strategizing and out-thinking the other teams.

"We actually spent some time figuring out how to raise money," he said. "The ski team outran us by a ton, but we probably out-raised them by tenfold."

Reynolds said he would like to see more opportunities for UNM student athletes to raise money for the community.

"As athletes, we have a lot we can give back," he said. "Any chance I get to do that is great. I don't think we do enough for the community, and I'd love to be able to help out more often."