UA SRP Active in on-Campus Activities

April 23, 2015

This spring, the University of Arizona Superfund Research Program (UA SRP) participated in two on-campus campaigns. The group participated in the 2015 “Walk Across Arizona” challenge for a third year. The goal of the 8-week program is to walk the 410 miles it takes to cross the state of Arizona as a team. It is not a fundraiser, just a great excuse to get moving, and get healthy together! Team members set personal goals ranging from training for a specific race, to achieving 10,000 steps a day.

This year we had enough participants for two interdisciplinary teams. The “Superfund Striders” were: research translation coordinator Sarah Wilkinson (captain); investigators Mark Brusseau, Jim Field, and Paloma Beamer (and her neighbor); and trainees Lydia Jennings and Juliana Gil-Loaiza. The “Superfund Strutters” were: director Raina Maier (captain); associate director Clark Lantz; program coordinator Rocio Estrella; investigators Karletta Chief, Bernie Futscher, Monica Ramírez-Andreotta; and trainee Christopher Olivares. Together, the two teams walked, ran, and cycled 3500 miles, enough to walk across Arizona more than 8 times!

The UA SRP also participated in the 2015 UA4Food charitable campaign. Conducted in partnership with the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, the spring food drive solicits donations of funds and non-perishable food to fight hunger in Arizona, a state ranked 48 out of 50 for food insecurity. To encourage a little healthy competition, UA SRP Director (and all-around good sport) Raina Maier agreed to get pied in the face by whichever project or core made the largest donation to the food drive. When Maier’s own project won the challenge, rather than choosing someone else to fall victim to a pie in the face, Maier generously bought pies for the UA SRP’s final Colloquium of the year! Together, our group donated a large box of food and $580; the donations will support emergency food boxes and child hunger & nutrition programs at the Food Bank.