The 7th annual Spooky Duke Race and Costume Contest will be held on the campus of Appalachian State University to benefit Parent to Parent Family Support Network™-High Country.

The Spooky Duke is a USA Track & Field (USATF) certified 5k and 10k race and includes a free costume march for children, adults and dogs. Costumes are encouraged. The race starts in the Raley/Peacock parking lot at 416 Howard St., and the course is relatively flat, with small hills and sidewalk terrain.

Registration is open through Oct. 25 and is $20 for the 5k and $30 for the 10k. Walkers can register for the 5k. Those registering by Oct. 12 will get a long sleeve T-shirt. For an additional $2, paid with the registration fee, the race photographer will email a finish-line photo.

Parent to Parent Family Support Network™-High Country, housed in Appalachian’s Reich College of Education, provides free support and information to families who have a premature baby, a child with a disability, an emotional or behavioral challenge, a mental illness, a chronic health condition or to families who are grieving the death of a child. The program serves Alleghany, Ashe, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey counties.

Registration packet pickup is Friday, Oct. 27, from 4-7 p.m. inside the Boone Mall. Race day packet pickup and day-of registrations are available from 8-8:30 a.m. at the Raley/Peacock parking lot. The 5k and 10k races begin at 9 a.m., and the costume march begins at 10 a.m.

There will be goody bags, music, photo booths and free activities for children from 8-10:30 a.m. with Appalachian special education students providing free childcare for registered runners.

The first Spooky Duke in 2011 was championed by Jennifer McClure, an Appalachian social work student and Parent to Parent FSN-HC intern, who chose to create the race as her final project.

Dr. Charles R. Duke, former dean of the Reich College of Education, became the event sponsor. To honor him and the Halloween theme, the race was named “Spooky Duke.”

In 2016, 400 runners participated, 75 student and community volunteers assisted with race planning and logistics, and the event raised $13,000 for Parent to Parent Family Support Network™-High Country.

Contact Kaaren Hayes (hayeskl@appstate.edu), Jeffrey Crawford (crawfordjt2@appstate.edu) or Ashley Abernathy (ashleyabernathy96@gmail.com) for more information.

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 offerings that span multiple fields — from teacher preparation, counseling, and therapy, to higher education, school and student affairs administration, library science, educational leadership and more. With over 10,000 alumni employed in North Carolina public schools, there is at least one Reich College graduate in every county in the state. Learn more at https://rcoe.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.