On Saturday, June 28, more than 150 participants laced up their running shoes and hit the pavement for PCOM Georgia's Blaze 5K, a lively community day incorporating health, wellness and celebration.
The race was part of the year-long celebrations marking PCOM Georgia's 20th anniversary, with funds raised from the event going to the Clyde and Sandra Strickland Endowed Scholarship Fund, to further support PCOM Georgia students.
The certified 5K qualifier race began on Main Street in Suwanee, then took runners through local neighborhoods and Brushy Creek Greenway, finishing on the elevated path at Town Center on Main.
Among the top finishers was 23-year-old Tyler Talik of Lilburn, who claimed first place in the male overall category with an impressive time of 17:39, and 26-year-old Mo Olocha of Buford, who crossed the finish line first with a time of 22:51 winning first place in the female overall category.
In addition to the race, PCOM Fit, the student-run fitness club, hosted a wellness table offering water, electrolyte solutions and healthy snack options. The event also featured blood pressure checks, PCOM Georgia swag, and a visit from PCOM Georgia's Simbulance.
The event was organized by the Blaze 5K Committee, spearheaded by Kim Lucier, director of campus operations, who oversees many of the community engagement and wellness initiatives at PCOM Georgia.
“This was a great opportunity for students to connect in a healthy, fun way after a long Orientation Week, and for our faculty, staff, and local residents to enjoy a morning of fitness, health education, and camaraderie,” said Lucier.
PCOM Georgia has been serving students and the community for 20 years as a branch campus of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), a private, not-for-profit, accredited institution of higher education established in 1899. Located in Suwanee (Gwinnett County), PCOM Georgia offers doctoral degrees in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy and physical therapy. Graduate degrees are offered in biomedical sciences, medical laboratory science and physician assistant studies. The campus joins PCOM South Georgia in Moultrie in helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state. Emphasizing "a whole person" approach to care, PCOM Georgia focuses on educational excellence, interprofessional education and service to the community. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 678-225-7500. The campus is also home to the Georgia Osteopathic Care Center, an osteopathic manipulative medicine clinic, which is open to the public by appointment. For more information, visit pcomgeorgiahealth.org.
For general media inquiries, please contact the Office of Marketing and Communications at 215-871-6300 or communications@pcom.edu. Visit our media relations page to view contact information for public relations personnel.
Joy Williford
Assistant Director, News and Media Relations
Office of Marketing and Communications
Email: joyde@pcom.edu
Office: 470-572-7558
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