Weber School District, GOAL Foundation bus partnership for Ogden Marathon to benefit local schools
BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner
A view of the Ogden Marathon finish line at Grant Avenue and 25th Street on Saturday, May 18, 2024, in Ogden.OGDEN — The nonprofit GOAL Foundation, which has produced the Ogden Marathon since the mid-2000s, is renewing a transportation partnership with Weber School District that will get runners to the starting line while also benefiting local schools through the Weber School Foundation.
Announced during Wednesday’s meeting of the Weber School Board, the new agreement with the district allows for the provision of 55 school buses to be used for transporting roughly 3,000 participants for this year’s Ogden Half Marathon, occurring alongside the main event in May.
For every bus provided by the district, GOAL Foundation will donate $500 to the Weber School Foundation, in addition to reimbursing the district for operational costs and driver pay. That amounts to a donation of approximately $25,000 to be used at WSF’s discretion.
Alex Docta, GOAL’s director of operations, told the Standard-Examiner that the agreement was made with the intent of keeping money in the local community, to the betterment of Weber County residents.
“Last year, we had a bunch of bus vendors from out of state, and we weren’t using as many Weber School District buses. So, it just had become apparent to me that it would be interesting to find a way to keep the money, instead of going to an out-of-state vendor, if we could keep it in the state.”
At the school board meeting, WSF Director Emily Oyler indicated that the incoming funds would be used to aid the completion of teen centers at area high schools.
“Weber School Foundation has been working really hard to put teen centers in each of our high schools,” Oyler said Wednesday. “The funding that we receive this year will go directly towards teen centers. We’re really close to having all of those completed. … We have one teen center left at West Field High School and this will directly benefit those students.”
The district’s teen centers offer students private showers/bathrooms, access to food and hygiene supplies, washers and dryers, study space and more, as well as access to individual and family support services.
“I think the most impactful thing is just the fact that we were able to bring all these stakeholders to the table — the GOAL Foundation, Weber School District and Weber School Foundation — and really find a way to keep local money in the community,” Docta added.
