Team Yokota runs for a good cause

  • Published
  • By Airman First Class Lynsie Nichols
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan --  Members from Team Yokota recently competed in the Viking Challenge, a 12-hour relay race to help raise money for the Combined Federal Campaign and to promote physical fitness, here Nov. 6.

The idea for the Viking Run came from Staff Sgt. Amanda Contreras, NCO in charge of the First Term Airman's Center.

"I ran in the Viking Run at my last base, and when I got here, I realized they didn't have anything like it," said Sergeant Contreras. "I decided that it would be a really good idea to bring it to this base and get it started.

The funds raised from this event will be donated to this year's CFC, which is a federal-government-wide fundraiser that donates to more than 2,300 different charities.

"The more money a base raises, the more stuff that base gets," said Tech. Sgt. Andy Gilbert, Yokota Airman Leadership School instructor. "We wanted our base to have extra money, so we decided to put this event together to raise money for our goal."

This was the first year for the Viking Run and both Sergeant Gilbert and Sergeant Contreras agree that it was successful.

"We have projected that this event raised approximately $6000," said Sergeant Contreras. "Half of those funds will go towards the American Red Cross, and the other half will go towards the Fisher House."

Not only was the first year successful, quite a few people got involved as well.

"We had 14 teams with 8-10 people on each one, next year we will definitely have that much, if not double," said Sergeant Gilbert.

A total of 1,134 miles was run by the teams -- with the 374th Civil Engineer Squadron running 117 of those miles, making theirs the team to run the longest distance. Members of the 374th Operations Group raised more than $2,000 on their own making them the unit to raise the most money.

Aimed at not only helping raise donations for CFC, the Viking Run also helped promote the Air Force fitness program.

"The Viking Run definitely promotes fitness," said Sergeant Gilbert. "The more teams that participate shows that more people are taking fitness seriously."