Hurricane Hustle

Benefit fun run to raise money for Katrina aid

By JIM BUTLER
Eagle Staff Writer


For Kara Brandon, cleaning out her closet wasn't enough. To help visitors brought to Brazos Valley by Hurricane Katrina, she wanted to do much more that give clothes.

With no experience in event planning, the 9-year-old decided on a fund-raiser: The Hurricane Hustle, a 1-mile walk or 2-mile run, that will start at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at Brothers Pond Park on Rio Grande Street in College Station.

Kara is suggesting a $15 entry fee that will be donated to the American Red Cross.

Milayna Brandon, mother of Kara, Allie, 6, and Ben, 3, sat down with her kids after seeing reports on Katrina's destruction and decided the family should so something to help.

"Mom said that we should clean out our closets," Kara Brandon said.

"I said I wanted to do a 5K run. I thought it would be cool if we did a run because we could let other people participate in helping others."

Kara got the idea from Coach Fran's Fun Run, which she entered a week earlier.

"In 30 minutes, she had the names of people she wanted for flaggers and water people and to handle registration," Milayna Brandon said.

"My parents were only medium-excited at first," Kara Brandon said. "They decided a 5K wasn't doable, so I made it shorter."

Kara Brandon, a fourth-grader at KOR Education School, is no stranger to racing. She has competed in three 5Ks and five shorter races.

"I finished 10th in my age group at Coach Fran's," she said.

The budding race promoter is hoping to draw 100 to 150 entrants to the Hurricane Hustle.

"We also want people to stand by the road and clap. That's very important in a run," she said.

For more information, call 979-777-2607.

• Jim Butler's e-mail address is jim.butler@theeagle.com.