April 2, 2004
FAIRFAX, VA (April 2, 2004)-The Sixth Patriot Anti-Violence Education (PAVE) 5-kilometer Fun Run/Walk has been set for Sunday, April 25, on George Mason University's Fairfax campus. Registration for the event ($25 per person, or $10 for George Mason and high school students) begins at 9 a.m. at the Patriot Center, with the race beginning at 10 a.m. Registration can also be done in advance with forms available on the George Mason Athletics Web Site at www.GMUsports.com.
The race consists of two laps around Patriot Circle on the George Mason campus, with the finish line back at the Patriot Center. An awards ceremony and picnic for all participants will follow the conclusion of the race. The race will be held rain or shine, except for possibilities of severe weather. In case of inclement weather on April 25, please call 703-993-3218 after 8 a.m. for updates.
The PAVE 5K Fun Run/Walk is sponsored by the George Mason Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and it raises money for non-violence education while helping to bring the community together in support of victims' rights. Funds raised go to the Aimee Willard Endowment Scholarship Fund, which honors the memory of a former Patriot student-athlete. More than $90,000 has been raised for the Aimee Willard Scholarship Fund over the past five years and the goal for this final race is to top $100,000.
Willard was a two-sport athlete at George Mason, playing soccer and lacrosse. She was a member of Mason's 1993 women's soccer team that was the NCAA Division I runner-up, and she was an All-Colonial Athletic Association and regional All-America selection in women's lacrosse in 1996. In June 1996, while home during summer break, the 22-year-old Willard was abducted, raped and murdered in Philadelphia, PA. Arthur Bomar Jr. was convicted of the murder and sentenced to death.
U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) was one of several sponsors for the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act, which was passed by the U.S. Congress in 2000 and signed into law by President Bill Clinton on Oct. 28, 2000. It has popularly become known as "Aimee's Law."
The keynote speaker will be Laurie Markon, an advocate with the Alexandria (VA) Police Department's Domestic Violence Unit, and other speakers will include George Mason University President Dr. Alan Merten and Patriot women's soccer alumna Lisa Berra.
For more information on the event or to inquire about corporate sponsorship, please contact Stephanie Morehead with the Patriot Club at 703-993-3218, or at smorehea@gmu.edu.
