Oct. 22, the T.K. Martin Center Ambassadors hosted their annual Trick or Trot T.K. Martin Fun Run at the T.K. Martin Center.
The T.K. Martin Center is the Center for Technology and Disability on Mississippi State University’s campus. The center’s purpose is to provide services such as physical therapy, speech pathology and behavior therapy for individuals and children with special needs.
The center has a preschool called Project Impact that provides children with both education and the specific services they need.
The center also gives college students the chance to intern and shadow. The ambassador program has assisted the T.K. Martin Center in planning and organizing events.
Mary Grace Davis, a senior majoring in educational psychology, is the secretary of the ambassador program. She shared the experiences that she has encountered throughout her time in the program.
“I have been a part of the T.K. family for a little over a year now. I started out as a student worker and through that, I got to become an ambassador and I’ve really, really enjoyed my time there,” Davis said.
The Trick or Trot Fun Run event was open to the public, so anyone was allowed to register, participate or watch. Participants had to register online either as an individual for $15 or as a family for $30. They could go to the center to register for the event as well.
There were cheer stations set up around the course to encourage everyone on their walk or run. The course started at the T.K. Martin Center and went around campus to make it a one-mile course.
Smith Wolford, a senior majoring in educational psychology, is the president of the T.K. Martin Center Ambassadors. She stated how excited she was for the event and what the ambassadors wanted from the event.
“It’s a great day where they can come and just have fun. They don’t have to focus on anything else,” Wolford said. “The center just wants as much support as possible. The T.K. Martin Center works really hard every year to put on this event to raise money and awareness.”
 The ambassadors spent the last several weeks promoting the event. Davis explained all the work put into place to promote the run, including a tabling event on Oct. 19 on the Drill Field.
“We have a code online through all of our social media programs, Facebook, Instagram, all that fun stuff,” Davis said. “We’re making posts about it constantly, and we also have a few posters and banners hung around campus with the QR code to register and everything on there.”
The ambassadors were anticipating a moderately-sized crowd for the event regarding both participants and supporters at the cheer stations. Katherine Nause, social media director for T.K. Martin Ambassadors, shared her feelings about the attendance prior to the event.
“I want to see as many people there as possible because I know that everyone’s gonna have a great time,” Nause said. “I just think it’s gonna be a super fun event and everyone’s gonna enjoy it.”
This is the tenth year that the ambassadors have hosted this event for the T.K. Martin Center.