Financial Aid is the Winner of the 2nd Annual 5K GryFun Run & Walk
Look: the Gryphon has a hard time running. It gets hot and sweaty under its, um… green fur and feathery head. But come April 23, the Gryphon is still going to try its best.
That’s when the second annual 5k GryFun Run & Walk will kick off. At 10 am that Saturday, participants will take off, running or walking 3.1 miles and raising money for Greenhills’ financial aid program. We’re hoping for some wonderful Michigan spring weather, perfect for shaking off the winter rust and going for a run — and raising money for an important cause at the same time. The school will give out almost $2 million — more than 10 percent of the entire Greenhills budget — in financial aid over the 2021-22 school year, helping put the Greenhills experience within reach for about 20 percent of the student body, and every dollar that the GryFun Run raises will help bring that amount even higher.
“The GryFun Run is poised to become a great Greenhills tradition,” said Head of School Peter B. Fayroian. “I hope to see a big turnout for the in-person event, but I’m just as excited to see Greenhills community members from around the world staying connected through the virtual run.”
Several months out, the event already has more than 150 families, students, faculty and alums registered. Last year, even though the run was entirely virtual, 430 people participated. Greenhills alumni and community members are spread far and wide, of course, and not everyone can make their way out to Michigan for a run, so a virtual option is still available. For both the in-person and virtual runs, registration is free, but with a $35 donation, runners will also take home a swag bag. This year’s swag bag is full of exciting opportunities, and frankly, more than worth it.
The swag bag includes an official event t-shirt printed on high-quality tech fiber, a reusable shopping bag that packs down to the size of a lemon, a $10 gift card to Mani Osteria and Isalita restaurants (run by Adam Baru ’89 and his team), a coupon for 15 percent off at Ypsilanti Running Company, a jar of B. Happy Peanut Butter (the brainchild of Jon Weed ’87 and his family), and a free Gold Wash at Zippy Auto Wash (limited to the first 200 swag bags given out). Beyond the swag bag donation, there’s also an option to lend additional support in any amount to Greenhills’ financial aid program.
The GryFun Run began in 2021, but was strictly virtual in its first iteration. So this year, Greenhills is taking the opportunity to celebrate the full in-person event for the first time. Some alumni and community members haven’t experienced the beautiful new all-weather turf field and track, and the GryFun Run will be an excellent opportunity.
“As an alum, it was so much fun to participate in last year’s GryFun run with my former classmate and teammate Sandy Irani ‘82,” said Director of Alumni Relations Teresa Casey ’82. “I’ll be participating again this year, but I’m really excited to be doing it at Greenhills and seeing hundreds of people lined up on the new track at the start of the event.”
The in-person event will start and end on the track at Greenhills, and the route will include segments of the cross country course. Virtual participants can run or walk anywhere, which is part of what makes this event so fun — particularly for our alums who are scattered around the world. If you happen to be in the Ann Arbor area, you’ll see some fun suggested routes on the event website.
We can’t wait to see everyone out on the roads on April 23, ready to run while raising money for a cause near and dear to the Greenhills community. So lace up the running shoes, stretch out the hamstrings, and get to work studying up on the route in advance of race day. Maybe you’ll even catch a glimpse of the Gryphon — its (ahem) body is heavy and unwieldy, but it will be out there nonetheless, cheering on the runners and spreading the Greenhills spirit.
