IN THE NEWS: 650 Take Part in Reindeer Run

CALDWELL – About 650 people participated in the 11th annual Reindeer Run, which benefited Mount St. Dominic Academy, on Saturday, Dec. 4. The private Catholic all-girls high school in Caldwell became the sponsor of the event after Trinity Academy closed in 2020.

Some people jogged, some ran and others walked, while the competitive runners kept a steady pace to the finish line of the 5K. More than 70 students from the Mount volunteered to help with the Reindeer Run, which included the Jingle Jam Holiday Market inside St. Aloysius Church. Runners lined up at the corner of Forest Avenue and Hatfield Street, a few blocks down from St. Aloysius, before the 9:30 a.m. start. Monsignor Robert Emery of St. Aloysius said a prayer before the race began. “As St. Paul says, I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith,” Emery said. “Almighty God, we thank you for bringing us together this morning... We ask you bless these runners to keep them safe in your care...and that you be there to greet them all at the finish line.” Marshals helped guide the runners through the course.

Justin Scheid of Roxbury finished first with a time of 16:21.44. He had nearly a minute lead, as Abdel Karim Oubih was second with a time of 17:30.84. Amy Van Alstine finished third with a time of 18:10.43, becoming the women’s champion.

Scheid said the race was good fun. “I’ve done it before, this is like my third or fourth time,” he said. “I run year-round actually. I ran through high school and college and just try to keep doing that.”

He mostly runs USA Track & Field races in New Jersey. “My best time on a 5K is 14:10, but that was on a flat track.”

At the Jingle Jam Holiday Market, vendors set up shops offering a variety of items, including baked goods, glass painting, winter clothes, Christmas ornaments, and religious yard signs. Santa Claus, who arrived on an old-fashioned Caldwell firetruck decorated for the season, posed for photos with children at the market. Healthy snacks, ranging from apples and bananas to granola bars, were provided free to all as well as coffee and water.