Today we’d like to introduce you to Autumn Potter and Katherine Pleines.
Hi Autumn and Katherine, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
The Race for the Summitt is an annual race that our local organization, the American Pharmacist Association – Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP), at our pharmacy school puts on to benefit the Pat Summitt Foundation.
Every year the school designates two student pharmacists to organize the event. The school has put on the race for the past 9 years and raised over $40,000 for the Pat Summitt Foundation. Alzheimer’s Disease is a devastating disease that currently has no cure. The purpose of the Pat Summitt Foundation is to help find a cure for this disease. Through our annual Race for the Summitt, we “Back Pat” by donating all of the proceeds earned from the race, directly to the Pat Summitt Foundation to help aid in their mission of finding a cure for this disease.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There have been struggles throughout our journey this year, but we have learned to adapt in the face of adversity. Planning a large event has definitely been a learning process, but it has made us better leaders. The COVID-19 Pandemic has been a large obstacle we have had to overcome as an organization. In 2019 the race was canceled and our initiative and goals were put on hold. Even with a setback in 2020, we were able to bring the race back in 2021, and were able to present a check for $9,000 to the Pat Summitt Foundation.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about UTHSC APhA-ASP in Partnership with the Pat Summitt Foundation ?
Katherine Pleines and I are the Co-Chairs for the race this year. We are in charge of organizing and planning the race as well as overseeing the four committees that make up our team. We have Sponsorship, Silent Auction, Public Relations, and Race Day Teams who all work together to put on this amazing event each year. We partner with local businesses to raise money through sponsorship and silent auction items. We strive to make this event an opportunity to come together as a community and make a difference while having some fun. As future pharmacists, this event is very meaningful to us as we have seen first hand the devastating effects Alzheimer’s Disease has on patients and their loved ones. We are proud to host this event every year to honor a local hero and raise funds, awareness, and hope for an important cause.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
We define success as reaching the goals that we have set forth for ourselves. Before we plan the race each year, be it big or small, we set goals along the way for us to achieve. With anything in life, we will face obstacles, but as long as we can find a way over them and achieve our goals, we will be successful at the end of the day. Each year our number one goal will always be to raise money for the Pat Summitt Foundation to help find a cure for this devastating disease that affects so many of our loved ones.
Pricing:
- RFTS 5K Run/Walk – $30
- Virtual RFTS 5K Run/Walk – $30
- Memory Donor – $25
Contact Info:
- Website: runsignup.com/raceforthesummitt
- Instagram: @raceforthesummitt
- Facebook: raceforthesummitt
