The 9th Annual V.I. Walk/Run Against Gun Violence will take place on Sunday, May20. Its purpose is to raise the consciousness of the community to the dangers of violence and to help raise money for a scholarship fund, according to a press release from Celia A. Carroll, the executive director of V.I. Mothers Against Guns Inc. and Jason Carroll Memorial Fund Inc.
The event is scheduled to be a two-mile walk/run at 4 p.m. on the Waterfront in Charlotte Amalie starting at the Coastguard dock and following a course through Frenchtown to Addelita Cancryn Junior High School and back.
Money raised from the run and from sponsors helps to fund a first-year, full-tuition scholarship at the University of the Virgin Islands for a V.I. high school senior. The recipient of the scholarship has to demonstrate that he or she is against gun violence by writing a winning 1000-word essay. The scholarship application and essay should be submitted to UVI Offfice of Institutional Advancement, No. 2 Brewers Bay, St. Thomas, to the attention of Ms. Astrid Carmona, (telephone number 693-1047) no later than Monday, May 14.
Gov. John P. deJongh Jr. declared last year’s day of the walk/run to be Crime and Gun Violence Prevention Day. The governor urged residents to partake in the events of the day. He is expected to do the same this year.
Registration forms for the walk/run are available at Caribbean Surf Co. on the Waterfront, Havensight and Red Hook. To preregister, one has to fill out a registration form and pay the sum of $3 for children 17 and under and $8 for adults. Interested persons can register at their schools and churches, and Saturday registration at the mall is available. On the day of the walk/run, the fees are $5 and $10 respectively. Preregistration will be closed at 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 19.
For any additional information, call Celia at 775-9337 or 690-5759 or visit the Web site at vimothersagainstguns.org.
