Saturday, October 20, was Run Day, Fun Day for MedStudy staff members and their families. Since 2012, the Waldo Waldo 5K has been held annually in Colorado Springs, home of MedStudy’s corporate headquarters. The Waldo Waldo 5K was founded to raise disaster relief funds after the Waldo Canyon Fire resulted in the evacuation of 32,000 Colorado residents from their homes, the destruction of 346 houses, the loss of 18,247 acres of forest, and the tragedy of two fatalities. MedStudy staff, family, and friends were among those evacuated from and affected by the fire.
Over the years, the event has raised more than $200,000 for recovery efforts. When runners, joggers, and walkers register for the event, they are provided with a red-and-white striped shirt, beanie, and glasses, mimicking the appearance of Waldo from the well-known children’s books Where’s Waldo.
For the past five years, MedStudy has registered a team to promote fun, team building, and a worthy cause. Linda Wagner, MedStudy Vice President, said, “When this 5K started, our community had just experienced a terrible fire in our beloved Waldo Canyon, so it was a wonderful feeling to help raise funds for that relief effort and just run and be silly together on a beautiful Colorado morning.”
This year, the MedStudy team ran with 3,800 other Waldos. MedStudy even had our youngest participant, seven-month-old Miles (no pun intended), complete the race with mom and MedStudy project manager, Alicia Pino. During the event, Baby Miles sported his infant Waldo costume, complete with baby Waldo glasses.
The Waldo Waldo 5K has been a memorable event for MedStudy and the Colorado Springs community, but all good things must come to an end. Sadly, 2018 is the final year for The Waldo Waldo. It has been a good run.