The Stagg High School community ran for a good cause.
The fifth annual Summer Classic Track Meet was held on July 25 at the high school, 8015 W. 111th St., Palos Hills.
“The initial goal of the track meet was to be a family friendly and fun way for our community to bond,” Zach Spoor, Stagg High School Division Chair for Social Studies, World Languages & Art at Stagg, said. “We wanted a space for staff, and community members to come and bring their families while getting to socialize and see one another over the summer. We also wanted to expose our track program to future Chargers.”
The family-friendly event was open to Stagg students, graduates, staff, family, friends and neighbors. Anyone age 2 and up was able to participate.
Spoor, who participated in a similar meet while working in a school district prior to coming to Stagg, was inspired to start up Stagg’s very own version.
The event featured age-appropriate running events from a 25-meter run for our youngest all the way up to the mile run. There were also have field events, long jump, throws, and high jump, again all age appropriate.
“There are two things that I love about this meet, first are the graduates who come back,” Spoor said. “It is so great to see our former athletes and spend some time catching up with them and getting an update on life. The second, the young kids that participate. The meet has a high turnout for the younger age groups and it is very fun to watch the little ones participate in their events. Generally, it really has had a nice community feel to it in years past. On a personal note, my daughter was able to participate this year as a 2-year-old and I was very much looking forward to that leading up to the event.”
The cost to participate was $10 per individual and $30 per family with all monies raised going directly to benefit the Lupus Foundation of America, national voluntary health organization based in Washington, D.C., with a network of chapters, offices and support groups located in communities throughout the United States. The Foundation is devoted to solving the mystery of Lupus.
“It was always our plan to use this as a fundraiser,” Spoor said.
The first year of the meet in the Summer of 2018, Stagg officials did not have an organization in mind for the donation, so they used the funds raised to ensure the high school could continue the meet each summer (funds were used to help cover the expenses of a starter, clothing, concessions, etc.).
“In winter of 2019, my mom passed away from a difficult complication related to her having Lupus,” Spoor said.
It was then when Mary Gaido, Stagg’s girls’ track coach, suggested the school pick the Lupus Foundation of America and donate all the funds we raise from that summer meet.
After not being able to host the meet in 2020 or 2021 (because of the odd IHSA sports calendar after it was adjusted for because of Covid restrictions), the meet returned in 2022 and decided Stagg officials would continue to donate to the Lupus Foundation of America.
“My hope was that the participants had a fun evening out with their friends and family and could feel good about raising money for the Lupus Foundation of America,” Spoor said.
Those still interested in helping the cause can order gear from this online store: https://www.wamiswag.com/shops/staggtrack.
Each item ordered will provide additional funds to be donated to the Lupus Foundation of America.
