The rainy weather did not dampen the spirits of the participants of the 1st Annual Run for the Trees at Moravian Academy on Saturday, October 4th on the school’s Merle-Smith Campus at Green Pond.  More than 150 students, parents, teachers, alumni and friends of Moravian Academy either ran the 5k cross-country course over beautiful fields or walked approximately a little more than a mile.  Funds raised through the fun run/walk will be used to help purchase trees that will be planted around the numerous playing fields on campus an idea that came from the school’s recent graduating class of 2008. 
This past spring, several members of the class of 2008 visited with Mr. George N. King Jr., Headmaster, to discuss their class’ gift to the school.  They discussed the pristine new fields on the Merle-Smith campus but were concerned about the lack of protection from the wind, exposure to Route 22, in addition to its aesthetic limitations.  They recounted how the elements made the temperature feel much colder than it actually was and adversely affected the athletic contests and performance.  The noise from the battering wind and the abundant traffic on Route 22 made it hard to hear teammates and their coaches during practices and games.  However, as a testament to their education at Moravian Academy , the students offered a solution:
Plant a variety of trees on the Merle-Smith Campus to minimize the elements incurred during the fall and spring sports seasons; enhance the aesthetic appeal and use of the athletic fields; provide a unique buffer to the intrusion of Route 22 on their campus; and advance the Academy’s contribution to the preservation of our environment. 
Inspired by their vision, Mr. King and the Board of Trustees agreed to a landscaping project on the fields that will be completed through a three phase schedule over the next few years. The Annual Run for the Trees will be one of several ways in which funding will be secured for this project. Accompanying Mr. King at the ceremonial planting of the first tree was class of 2008 president Marisa Brau, who said “It’s really great to be back for this occasion. I speak for my class when I say that we are so proud that our small idea has turned into such a grand endeavor that will enhance our beautiful campus for the future generation of Moravian Academy students.”