HARLINGEN — With children and staff cheering, Rev. Alejandro Flores ran the last half mile that he needed.
On Thursday at 10:30 a.m., Flores finished what he had started in January, when he pledged to run 100 miles in stages to raise funds for St. Anthony Catholic School.
Flores said it was tiring and thought he was making a mistake but then he saw the community get involved.
“They were supportive of the school and of me and I got different messages from people about getting motivated, especially now when you are cooped up inside,” Flores said.
“It was good to get outside, get out in the world and put one foot in front of the other,” he said.
Flores said that even though he was running by himself, he felt that others were running with him through their support and encouragement. He said children in class were also working on raising funds for the school through their classrooms.
Because of the pandemic, St. Anthony Catholic School had been experiencing financial hardship. This is why Flores and others began looking for creative ways to raise funds.
“The funds are for the school and for us to keep it open during this difficult time. Also, to support students and teachers,” Flores said.
The final half mile was celebrated at the school in order to finish with a bang.
“After all the runs I wanted to save the half mile for the kids. Usually I run around the city but I am so grateful that they are able to be here and hear their cheers,” he said.
Flores was used to running but not as much as what he did these past few months. He trained for a marathon once but this is the longest he has run in a consistent period of time.
“It was very different, challenging and it helped me get back on that discipline of waking up early and on time,” Flores said.
“Get out, get the run in before all the activities of the church started. The race is not over, we are always looking to move forward and supporting the school in the best way we can,” he said.
