Jefferson County Schools Superintendent Bondy Shay Gibson, already decked out in glow gear, uses glow-in-the-dark paint to decorate her Glow for a Cause T-shirt in the Suzanne Shipley Wellness Center Friday night. Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — The foyer of the Suzanne Shipley Wellness Center was bustling with activity on Friday night, as about 65 runners and walkers from around Shepherd University and the surrounding community gathered to participate in a new fundraising 5k and one-mile untimed race event, Glow for a Cause.

Funds raised from participant registration and additional donations at the event numbered at over $1,100, all of which would be put toward helping the university grant the wish of its second child through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“Everybody’s excited! Especially post-COVID, it’s nice to see a big group of people,” said Hannah French, who was preparing to participate in the one-mile event with her mother, Lisa French, both of Shepherdstown.

“They’re helping children that have been suffering medically, by granting their wishes. I think they deserve the chance to be able to fulfill their wishes,” Lisa said, mentioning she has personally seen the benefit of Make-A-Wish granting a critically ill child’s wish, through a family member receiving a granted wish.

Glow for a Cause was being jointly run by the Office of Student Community Services and Panhellenic Association, under the guidance of organizers Aly Nazarok, Cat Priddy and Danielle Stephenson. Participants were given Glow for a Cause T-shirts to decorate with glow-in-the-dark paint and glow stick jewelry. And, for those who really wanted to get into the theme of the event, the organizers encouraged them to wear bright clothing and additional glow or light accessories.

Shepherd University Graduate Assistant for Student Community Service Danielle Stephenson, right, interacts with Glow for a Cause attendees in the Suzanne Shipley Wellness Center foyer Friday night. Tabitha Johnston

“We bought things for us to add to our outfits,” said Jefferson County Schools Superintendent Bondy Shay Gibson, pointing out her and her son’s blinking neon rings and glow-in-the-dark bracelets. “This is a great activity and a great cause, and their decision to get the community and students together makes me happy! I just signed up for fun, because it seemed like a great cause.”

Shepherd’s first Make-A-Wish grant recipient, seven-year-old Gabriel Lee, was granted his wish of a “Home Alone 2” adventure in New York City last fall. Its current Make-A-Wish child, Piper, like Lee, is also an Eastern Panhandle resident. She has wished for the basement of her home to be remodeled.

“We are working with Make-A-Wish Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia. They work with families in this area, and they will reach out to them if they are recommended to Make-A-Wish. Then they will sit down with the family and decide what they want,” Stephenson said. “They’ll be paired with either a wish granter or an institution like Shepherd to have their wish granted.

“It costs about $4,400 per wish,” Stephenson said, mentioning the proceeds from this event have left them with a little over $1,000 to raise before the end of the spring semester.

To donate to Shepherd’s Make-A-Wish fundraising efforts, contact Stephenson, who is the graduate assistant for Student Community Service, at dstephen@shepherd.edu or 304-876-5030.

Shepherd University students begin decorating their Glow for a Cause T-shirts, prior to the beginning of the race in the Suzanne Shipley Wellness Center foyer on Friday evening. Tabitha Johnston

Glow for a Cause one-mile walkers and runners prepare to take off in the rain, by the Suzanne Shipley Wellness Center on Friday night. Tabitha Johnston