My dad loves history. I can remember him bringing me to Natchez when I was younger, and we would tour a home or an antique shop. He and I could spend hours wandering around one of the cemeteries. Years later, when I came to Natchez as an adult, it didn’t take me long to fall in love all over again. One of the first ways that I got to know the downtown area of Natchez was on foot. I love the hills (well maybe not Silver Street), the atmosphere and the beautiful homes and churches. I especially love to walk on the sidewalks on the bluff whenever I get a chance. I feel like no matter how many times I zigzag through the area, I see something new — a new antique shop I haven’t seen before or a landmark that doesn’t necessarily stand out. The history of this town is overwhelming. It’s everywhere!

What brought me back to Natchez was my job — I teach at Copiah-Lincoln Community College. In addition to my teaching duties, I am proud to be one of the sponsors of the Alpha Alpha Zeta Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa. PTK is the honors society for two-year colleges. It was through this combination of two of my passions that the Nerdy Wolf 5K was born. It seemed like a perfect opportunity for our students to learn leadership and organization skills as well as a chance to highlight the beautiful downtown area.

The money raised through this event benefits our chapter by helping fund our trips and projects. While those are important, the component of giving back is one of our organization’s main goals. Our students have chosen to donate half of all proceeds to our Veteran’s Scholarship Fund for Co-Lin Natchez students who are veterans. Not only that, but we recognize all veterans and family members at the beginning of the race. In fact, our chapter president this year is a veteran of the United States Air Force!

For the last 3 years, we have held the Nerdy Wolf 5K Walk/Run through downtown Natchez, finishing on the sidewalk overlooking the bluff. This year’s race will be at 8:00 a.m. Saturday, March 25. There’s nothing like running through Natchez on a cool, quiet spring morning. Not a runner? That’s not a problem! You can run, walk, or crawl and, of course, strollers and furry friends are always welcome. Stick around after the race because we have it on good authority that the Co-Lin wolf himself will be competing in the kids’ one-mile fun run!

For more information, please contact Amanda Hood at 601-446-1233 or email at amanda.hood@colin.edu. Registration forms are available at the Co-Lin Natchez Library or downloadable on our Facebook page: Nerdy Wolf 5K. Online registration is also available on racesonline.com.

Amanda Hood is a sponsor of the Alpha Alpha Zeta Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society.