By Rebecca McDonough
The Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History in Bryan is working in partnership with South African running enthusiast John McInroy, to put on the 7th Annual Buffalo Stampede, a half-marathon and 5K race.
McInroy, who will be running in the Buffalo Stampede, is the founder of the Unogwaja Challenge, a 10-day cycling and running event that helps raise money to support the community-based organizations in South Africa. He has also started the I Wear Socks on Friday movement, meant to inspire people to stay positive and follow their passions.
One of McInroy’s biggest passions in life, he says, is his desire to bring communities together and to inspire people to be good caretakers of the earth. “It’s not necessarily about the running,” says McInroy. “It’s about sharing the same earth.”
Registration is still open for the Buffalo Stampede, which will be held on October 10 at the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History. The event will end with an awards ceremony recognizing the first, second, and third place finishers in each age-group category. Prizes will also be given to the best cheering stations, which will be set up along the route.
McInroy’s hope for the Buffalo Stampede is that it will bring the people of Bryan together and unite the community in a common goal of helping to preserve the earth. Despite the distance between his home in Cape Town and the city of Bryan, McInroy believes that the actions of individuals in one place affect individuals in the other.
“Our planet really needs us to work together and to realize that we are connected,” says McInroy. “We are all one. We are all in it together.”
For more information on the Buffalo Stampede, visit brazosvalleymuseum.org.
