The second annual United Way 5K run will be held Oct. 16 at 8 a.m. as part of Mississippi State University’s United Way campaign. 
Brandy Akers, United Way 5K coordinator, said preregistration will begin at 7 a.m. before the race begins.  The cost is $20 for pre-registration and $25 the day of the race, and all proceeds go to United Way.
She said last year’s race was very successful, and an even larger participation is anticipated this year.
“We raised over $1,300 last year, and we’re hoping for that number to grow this year,” Akers said.
The race is sponsored by the Division of Budget and Planning along with Human Resources Management and is part of a campus-wide fund raising campaign for United Way, Akers said.
There is a United Way campaign every fall, said Lynne Richardson, the United Way campaign chair.
“United Way is the only philanthropic campaign organization that the campus hosts a full campus campaign for,” Richardson said.
Faculty and staff can use pay-roll deduction to make contributions to the campaign or, if they rather, a one-time gift, Richardson said.
Richardson said the total goal this year is $100,000, which is less than previous years’ goals.
“It had to be scaled back this year because of the early retirement incentive and the state of the economy,” she said.
Regardless, there is still much optimism surrounding the campaign, and every little bit helps, she said.
“I want people to understand they can make a difference; their gifts combined with others can make a difference,” Richardson said. 
She said there are multiple ways to make contributions, either by participating in the 5K or through one of the other campaign events, such as the silent auction or just a single small donation.
There have already been multiple events this year, including a lunch in the Junction and a “Closest to the Hole Contest,” Richardson said. 
There is also a silent auction which ends today at 5 p.m. in which students and faculty can bid on things such as lunch or coffee with campus dignitaries, she said. 
The auction is being hosted at unitedway.msstate.edu,and participants must have a NetID to bid, Richardson said. Last year this portion of the campaign raised $3,200.
“If we had every person on this campus give $5, we’d be at our goal right there,” Richardson said.
Bowen Horton, freshman biochemistry major, said he has participated in charity races before and is looking forward to running in this year’s United Way 5K run.
“People really open up their hearts when it’s for charity,” Horton said.
The spirit of the runners is what makes this race exciting, because each runner knows he or she is running to make a difference, he said.
“It really raises the morale and keeps it up throughout the race because you know you are running for a great cause,” Horton said. “Everyone who is there is doing something to change someone’s life.”
He said this provides for an energetic group of runners on race day.
“They are all pumped because it’s for a good cause,” Horton said.