More than $120,000 in scholarships has been awarded since 1991
GREEN BAY — What goes around, comes around. And for Tia Schartner, it’s the Bellin Run.
Nearly eight years ago, Shartner received a scholarship while attending the Bellin College of Nursing to become a pediatric nurse. That scholarship was funded by the Bellin Run and the thousands of runners and walkers who participate in the event each year.
Shartner is one of about 85 Bellin College of Nursing recipients to receive Bellin Run scholarships. Since 1991, a portion of each Bellin Run participant’s entry fee has been set aside for the Bellin College of Nursing scholarship fund. To date, the contribution has reached more than $120,000.
“The Bellin Run scholarship helped me financially as I earned my nursing degree,” said Schartner, team leader for Bellin Health’s Christoph Pediatric Department. “It is my hope that the Bellin Run will continue to grow and provide additional dollars so that other student nurses are able to receive scholarships to help with their college tuitions.”
With an expected national shortage of qualified nurses, Bellin College of Nursing President Dr. Jane Muhl is thankful for the support the Bellin Run provides to the area’s future nurses and caregivers.
“In addition to the new Bellevue campus, financial support like this scholarship program helps us to combat the effects of a nursing shortage in our region,” she said.
Now that Shartner has earned her degree, she is giving back to the Bellin Run as the Kids for Running coordinator. Kids for Running, a program to prepare kids grades 3-8 to run or walk the Bellin Run, has helped about 5,000 students throughout Northeast Wisconsin to reach their goals and live a healthier lifestyle through activity.
“As a pediatric nurse, it just made sense for me to be involved in our community by helping out kids,” Shartner said.
The Bellin Run, a 10K (6.2 mile) run/walk in Green Bay, Wis., is the fourth-largest timed 10K race in the nation with 12,908 participants. Established in 1977, the Bellin Run features elite runners, a children’s run, corporate challenge, running expo, all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner and a number of other events and activities for runners and their families.
This year’s 32nd annual Bellin Run is June 14, 2008. For more information, or to register, go to: www.bellinrun.com.
