KinSpin participants are all smiles after completing the event put on by the College of Kinesiology.

The sixth annual KinSpin Run, Walk or Roll takes place on campus this Saturday, Sept. 21 to raise money for the College of Kinesiology Special Needs Trust Fund.

KinSpin attracts around 500 participants each year, the majority of which are part of the campus community. Anyone can sign up to take part in KinSpin at a registration cost of $25 for students and $45 for non-students. Individuals run, walk or roll one kilometre or five kilometres beginning and ending at the University of Saskatchewan bowl.

“It’s a real family-oriented event. We get a lot of our faculty and staff from this college [and] also from other colleges who bring their friends and their family out to do the one or five kilometres,” said organizer Cary Primeau.

The event also serves as a welcome for first year kinesiology students who run a lap around the bowl to begin the event. The students often wear costumes during the day and help hand out medals to the kids who succeed in completing the run.

The day serves to familiarize new students with the College of Kinesiology and give them first-hand exposure to experiential learning.

The days’ activities starts at 10 a.m. with speeches from sponsors, donors and an opening greeting from former chancellor Vera Pezer. Afterward participants will walk, run or roll the one or five kilometre loop. When finished, there are refreshments and draw prizes.

Children who finish the event are also given a medal from the U of S mascot, Howler. There are no prizes awarded for the winners of the race as the event isn’t for competition but to benefit the children who receive the donations.

“We’ve sent a couple of our people who are part of the special needs dance programs to train under some different instructors in New York. All of those things are funded by the Special Needs Trust Fund. That’s where the money goes,” said Primeau. “The kids that are part of those programs, they really benefit from it.”

KinSpin has raised more than $125,000 since its inception. The money goes toward a number of special needs programs including the Physical Activity for Active Living program, which aids children and youth who are physically or mentally impaired. Funding is used for numerous initiatives such as purchasing costly equipment like wheelchairs to modifying the change rooms in the Physical Activity Complex.

To register or donate to KinSpin go to give.usask.ca/online/kinspin.php.

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Photo: University of Saskatchewan