Media Contact: Barbara Fornasiero, EAFocus Communications, 248.260.8466, barbara@eafocus.com; Julie Kelly, Avondale School District, 248.537.6002, julie.kelly@avondale.k12.mi.us
Auburn Hills, Mich. —March 23, 2015—- Avondale School District, an achievement-oriented learning community focused on student leadership and success in academics, the arts and athletics, announces the Avondale/Oakland University (OU) Partnership will be hosting the first annual Hearts and Hands 5k/Fun Run on Sunday, May 17. The purpose of the race is to bring the community together in a fun, healthy way to raise funds for the Avondale Education Foundation and the Avondale/OU partnership.
The Hearts and Hands 5k/Fun Run will bring together community members of all ages to celebrate the Avondale/OU Partnership. The race route will begin and end at Avondale High School and participants will see beautiful downtown Auburn Hills as well as other sites in the Auburn Hills area.
“We are excited to begin a new tradition that will not only bring together the Avondale community but also serve as a way to celebrate the success and impact of the Avondale/Oakland University partnership to date,” Marcia Hudson, teacher leader in the Avondale School District and a key coordinator of the Avondale/OU Partnership since its inception, said.
The 2015 race also features a “Maxfield Mile” dedicated to long-time educator, Dr. C. Robert Maxfield, currently interim Dean of the School of Education and Human Services at Oakland University and, like Hudson, instrumental in the establishment of the Avondale/OU Partnership. All proceeds raised for this mile will be donated to the Galileo Institute for Teacher Leadership in Dr. Maxfield’s name.
The 5k Fun Run/Walk begins at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 17 at Avondale High School located at 2800 Waukegan St., Auburn Hills 48326. Registration is $25 per person and is open to all ages; discounts available for multi-person registration. The Maxfield Mile starts at 8:45 a.m. and also begins and ends at Avondale High School. Online registration is available for both at https://runsignup.com/Race/MI/AuburnHills/HeartsandHands5KFunRun.
About the Avondale/Oakland University Partnership
The Avondale/Oakland University Partnership encompasses a spectrum of educational and community-focused services. The Avondale/Oakland University Partnership School, housed at Auburn Elementary and operated by the Avondale School District, began in Sept. 2013. Blending Avondale’s teacher leadership and classroom expertise with the progressive approach of Oakland University’s (OU) School of Education and Human Services, the partnership school brings a new learning experience to elementary education, serving students grades K-5 and providing a canvas where new models of teaching, teacher preparation and teacher leadership can be sketched, revised and transformed.
Additionally, the Avondale/Oakland University partnership provides services to Avondale students and families through OU’s William Beaumont School of Medicine, School of Nursing, School of Arts and Sciences, and OU’s SEHS Counseling Department. Ultimately, the partnership creates a community oriented approach to K-12 education to meet the needs of diverse learners, create leaders and problem-solvers, foster critical thinking, and support not just the whole child, but the whole family in order to maximize the success of all children in the district. Learn more here.
