On a cloudy and relatively mild Saturday late in October, costumed creatures gathered on the campus of Appalachian State University for the 9th annual Spooky Duke 5K/10K Race and Costume Contest.
The Halloween-themed fundraising and awareness raising event is a USA Track & Field (USATF)-certified 5K and 10K race with a free costume march and contest where children, adults, and pets can all show off their unique costumes and share in the fun. Spooky Duke is named in honor of Dr. Charles R. Duke, event sponsor and former dean of Appalachian’s Reich College of Education (RCOE).
Having fun running the Spooky Duke! Photo by Marta Saylors
This year, 363 walkers/runners participated and 75 volunteers helped make the event successful. With sponsorships, donations and participation fees, the event raised over $14,000. Thanks to a $10,000 matching grant from the Health Foundation, Inc. the total raised is over $24,000.
Senior education majors Abigail Chapman and Rebecca Boyles participated in both the race and the costume contest! Photo by Marta Saylors
All proceeds benefit Appalachian State University’s Parent to Parent Family Support Network-High Country (FSN-HC), housed in the RCOE. Parent to Parent FSN-HC 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 or 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.
App Educators Club leads the Costume March! Photo by Marta Saylors
For more photos, be sure to check out the albums on the Parent to Parent Facebook page.
Event Sponsors
Parent to Parent FSN-HC would like to thank the following sponsors for their contributions:
Hair Raiser ($1,000+)
- Dr. Charles R. Duke
- The Health Foundation, Inc.
- Alice P. Naylor
Fang-tastics ($500+)
- Appalachian Police Department
- Be Natural
- Alice and Paul Bullard
- Friendship Honda
- GoPostal
- Mast Farm Inn
- Mast General Store
- Mountain Works
- Skyline-Skybest
- Ultimate Sound DJ Company
Jack-o-Lanterns ($250+)
- 4-Forty-Four
- BlueRidge Energy
- Blue Ridge Vision
- Boone Drugs, Inc.
- Boone Industries
- Christmas in Blowing Rock
- Coe Realty
- Graystone Eye
- High Country Community Health
- Modern Automotive
- Nails By Brit
- Ray’s Weather
- Rich Summit Mountain
- Ross Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram
- Cratis D. Williams School of Graduate Studies
- Up 'N Running
Skeletons ($100 or less)
- Basil’s Market
- Bistro Roca
- Boone Tire
- Booneshine Brewing Co.
- Robert H. Bridgeman
- Capone’s
- Canvas Beauty Bar
- Casa Rustica
- CDSA Blue Ridge Roadrunners
- Charles Lieberman
- CoBo
- Dos Amigos
- Food Lion
- Grandfather Mountain
- Haircraft
- Haircut 101
- Harris Teeter
- Hawk Mountain Tree Farm
- High Country Souvenirs
- High Gravity Adventures
- Ingles
- Jaybird Aerial Photography
- Lily’s Snack Bar
- Los Arcoiris
- Lost Province Brewing Co.
- Lowes Food
- Mellow Mushroom
- Mike’s Inland Seafood
- Neighborhood Yoga
- Regear
- Sunrise Grill
- Thairapy Hair Studio
- The Cardinal
- The Goldsmith
- The Local
- The Spice and Tea Exchange
- University Bookstore
- Village Café
- Wal-Mart
Dancing to the spooky tunes! Photo by Marta Saylors
Race Results
5K Top Finishers (men)
First place — Matt Shock; time: 16:32.1.
Second place — Sam Jenkins; time: 19:07.5.
Third place — Jeff Terbey; time: 19:09.8.
Masters — Steve Collie; time: 24:46.3
5K Top Finishers (women)
First place — Faith Blume; time: 20:35.5.
Second place — K. Putman; time: 22:16.7.
Third place — Renee Harrington; time: 22:47.3.
Masters — Melissa Cox; time: 24:27.2.
10K Top Finishers (men)
First place — Andrew Evans; time: 41:10.7.
Second place — W. Bradbury; time: 44:56.3.
Third place — Christopher Collins; time: 44:59.0.
Masters — J. Scott Townsend; time: 45:19.5.
10K Top Finishers (women)
First place — Abby Farrell; time: 48:12.1.
Second place — Lizzy Gardner; time: 48:31.1.
Third place — Jennifer Cayer; time: 50:13.3.
Masters — Lori Eggers; time: 52:56.4
Spooky Duke runners on the course. Photo by Marta Saylors
View the complete Spooky Duke 2019 race results
Special Appreciation
Parent to Parent FSN-HC would like to thank the following groups for making this a successful event:
- Appalachian Educators for Childcare
- Appalachian State Parking & Traffic
- Appalachian State University Police
- Appalachian's Women's Softball Team
- AppalCart
- Boone Police
- Boone Town Council
- Racing Toes
Finishing the race together! Photo by Helen Phillips
Spooky Duke runners finish
