The Montreat College track & field team found time away from running to give back to its local community by spending last Saturday with Habitat for Humanity of Asheville. The team spent the early morning hours pulling nails, cleaning construction debris, and moving lumber. The West Asheville home they worked at is in the late stages of construction for a local family. "It was tiring," said freshman distance runner Elyse Gildernew (Lookout Mt, GA), "but I enjoyed being a part of a project like this. Knowing that a deserving family will benefit from our work. As a daughter of a contractor, I was amazed at how fast Habitat works in servicing our community."

Elyse Gildernew, Marcus Wall (Weddington, NC), and Eric Bowers (Lancaster, PA), spent most the morning cutting and fitting a wooden rail for a side doorstep.  Ben Hall (Columbus, NC), Talisa Bishop (Interlachen, FL), Arilicia Adkins (Seffner, FL), and Coach Larios spent hours mixing stucco and spreading it along the exterior basement walls.

"We had a fun time seeing Coach Larios mess up the stucco mixing procedures.  Artie and I had to coach him through it," joked Talisa Bishop, "but seriously, we did have a fun time, though it was a long and hard day of rewarding work. So, we were especially thankful that Coach didn't make us practice on this day."

Earlier this month the track team also held a small ceremony to dedicate funds they raised in December to the Least of These ministry of Asheville. The team presented Adam Ripley, founder of LOT ministry and former Montreat College cross country runner, with a check for $500 for his ministry which serves part of the homeless population in Asheville. The funds were raised at the team's first annual All-Comers Cross Country Challenge last December.

Ripley's ministry provides pancakes, eggs, sausage, and coffee to nearly 150 of Asheville's homeless population on Saturday mornings.

"We are motivated and inspired by Adam and his willingness to serve in such a great ministry.  As an ex-runner for Montreat, I wanted our runners to see how God can use one simple person to do so much in the community.  I am proud of Adam and our runners for working hard to raise this desperately needed money.  Adam believes it's enough for over one month's worth of food -- we were excited to hear that," says Larios.

Montreat College is a Christ-centered liberal arts institution with its main campus for four-year traditional students in Montreat. The accelerated School of Professional and Adult Studies program has campuses in Asheville, Charlotte, and Black Mountain, with courses being taught in Cherokee, Murphy and other NC locations.