Hundreds run to raise money for BC3 scholarships
BUTLER TWP — At least $14,000 was raised Saturday for scholarships at Butler County Community College during the Pioneer Pursuit run and walk.
About 200 people participated in the Pioneer Pursuit 5K race, 1-mile walk or 100-meter dash for children. A yoga class and basket raffle were also held as part of the event organized by the BC3 Alumni Association and the Rho Phi chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa international academic honor society.
The $14,000 raised from runners, walkers and event sponsors did not include registration fees from people who registered Saturday morning before the race and money generated from a basket raffle. Fourteen sponsors contributed more than $9,000.
The money will benefit the endowed Sarah Kasunic 2016 Scholarship, Caitlyn Kaufman 2018 Legacy Nursing Scholarship, and the BC3 Alumni Legacy Scholarships.
Kasunic, formerly of Butler and a 2013 graduate of Knoch High School, earned an associate degree in nursing from BC3 in 2016. She was killed at age 23 in 2019 when she was struck by a vehicle in Tennessee.
Kaufman, formerly of Chicora and a 2012 graduate of Butler Senior High School, earned an associate degree in nursing from BC3 in 2018. She was killed at age 26 in 2020 when she was shot in a road rage incident in Tennessee.
The Alumni Legacy Scholarships are available to BC3 students with a minimum GPA of 3.0 and who are a child or grandchild of a former BC3 student who has earned at least 30 credits at the college.
“Caitlyn and Sarah represent the absolute best of Butler County Community College,” said Nick Neupauer, BC3 president.
He said both women were strong people who contributed to their professions and the communities.
“Their legacies will live on here forever, and beyond,” Neupauer said.
The event took place near the construction site of the Victor K. Phillips Nursing and Allied Health Building at the main campus in Butler Township. The building is part of a $21 million project that includes other improvements to the south end of the campus. Construction is on schedule to be completed in 2023.
The Kasunic and Kaufman scholarships are endowed and available to students enrolled full time in BC3’s Nursing, R.N., program who have a minimum grade-point average of 3.0. Three students have received the Kasunic scholarship and two have received the Kaufman scholarship.
