Mike Berendes, head coach of the track team at St. Charles, Hartland, leads his team in prayer prior to its April 27th "Kids Running for Food" - a benefit to help the Society of St. Vincent de Paul's parish food pantry. (Catholic Herald photo by Vicki Dubnicka)

"I let Christ run through me," said Riley Pinkerton, an eighth-grade track member at St. Charles Parish in Hartland.

Riley and the 69 other 5th-8th graders on her team ran a collective 100 miles in one hour to raise money for the parish's Society of St. Vincent de Paul food pantry.

The run took place April 27th. Teams of runners, led by alumni coaches, hit the track at Arrowhead High School in Merton. Coaches counted off laps and checked off each completed 400 meters as the baton exchanged hands. Once the team was within 15 miles, all ran the last lap together.

In the end, the team surpassed its expectations, running 105 miles in 50 minutes 57 seconds.

"This fund-raiser will greatly help the SVDP," said Shirley Lamerand, SVDP conference treasurer. "With high gas and food prices, more people will be coming to the pantry for help."

Read more in this week's Catholic Herald feature article.

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