App State’s 2022 Spooky Duke raises over $26K to support families of special needs children

BOONE, N.C. — On Saturday, Nov. 5, costumed runners and walkers gathered on the campus of Appalachian State University for the 12th annual Spooky Duke 5K/10K Race and Costume Contest, raising more than $26,000 — a new record for the event.

This year, 318 walkers and runners participated in person and virtually, and 50 volunteers helped make the event a success. With sponsorships, donations and participation fees, the event raised over $16,000 in proceeds to benefit the work of App State’s Parent to Parent Family Support Network-High Country (FSN-HC), which assists regional families who have children with special needs. A $10,000 matching grant from Health Foundation Inc. raised the total to $26,433.

The Halloween-themed fundraising and awareness-raising event is a USA Track & Field-certified 5K and 10K race with a free costume march and contest in which children, adults and pets can all show off their creativity and share in the fun. Spooky Duke is named in honor of Dr. Charles R. Duke, event sponsor and former dean of App State’s Reich College of Education (RCOE).

App State’s Parent to Parent (FSN-HC), housed in RCOE, provides free support and information to families who have a premature baby or a child with a disability, an emotional or behavioral challenge, a mental illness or a chronic health condition, and also assists families who are grieving the death of a child. The program serves Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey counties.

For race results and sponsor and partner information, visit the Reich College of Education website.

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About Parent to Parent Family Support Network-High Country

Parent to Parent Family Support Network-High Country (FSN-HC) provides free support, caring connections, information and hope to families who have a premature baby, a child with a disability, an emotional or behavioral challenge, a mental illness or a chronic health condition, and to families who are grieving the death of a child. The program serves seven counties in Western North Carolina: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey. Parent to Parent FSN-HC provides information and tools to help families see the possibilities for their children and turn that potential into reality. Learn more at https://parent2parent.appstate.edu.

About the Reich College of Education

Appalachian State University offers one of the largest undergraduate teacher preparation programs in North Carolina, graduating about 500 teachers a year. The Reich College of Education enrolls more than 2,000 students in its bachelor's, master's, education specialist and doctoral degree programs. With so many teacher education graduates working in the state, there is at least one RCOE graduate teaching in every county in North Carolina. Learn more at https://rcoe.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls nearly 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.