Oak Creek Ranch School Student Council Volunteers Make a Difference

It’s a marathon, ladies and gentlemen – 26.2 miles. It’s the distance from Sedona to Cottonwood, and back. For most it’s a chance to prove their gusto, whether it be an athletic prowess or mental tenacity. For others, like the 56-year old female runner that sat at the Elk’s Lodge pasta feed the night before the Sedona Marathon, it’s a chance to achieve a goal – specifically, running 200 marathons before her 60th birthday (she’s on pace to accomplish that goal at one marathon a week). Or maybe it’s simply running a marathon in every state. Fifty states, 50 marathons. Simple, right. Well, the OCRS Student Council didn’t partake in any of these affairs, however, they played an even more important role as volunteers.

“Volunteerism is playing a vital role in the council this year,” says advisor and teacher Nathan Hansen. “These students are learning to put receiving on the back burner. Instead, these young people are learning what it’s like to give, and give with all their heart. It’s great to see a sense of altruism in our young adults, as it’s here it all begins.”

Oak Creek Ranch School Student Council, which has already played roles in nonprofits “Homes for Heroes,” as well as “Toys for Tots,” woke early the morning of Saturday, February 4th and worked at the 13.1 mile turnaround point where all marathoners were logged in and cheered on. They worked tirelessly, nonstop, from six until eleven, giving their all, just as the runners did.

“You would have thought each runner, from first place to last, was the champion, they cheered so hard,” Hansen says. “One runner even commented, mid-stride, how he would have loved to have such ambitious fans along the entire route.”

Over thirteen miles of fans like OCRS students? Might be a little loud, but we’d take them any day. To have that many people committed to a concept of giving … what can’t be done?

Note on Photos (above): Ed W., Taylor W., Evan H., and Jen A. cheer runners on. Kaitlin M. sitting with fellow NAU volunteers logging in runners.

Oak Creek Ranch School is an co-ed boarding school for teens, ages 13-19 (grades 7-12). For 40 years OCRS has specialized in helping ADD, ADHD, and undermotivated boys and girls become successful students. The Arizona Boarding School is located near Sedona, Arizona, 100 miles north of Phoenix. Enrollments are accepted year round. Three summer boarding school sessions are available that are tailored to help students with learning differences succeed. For more information please visit us online at http://www.ocrs.com