Clackamas Community College President Dr. Tim Cook will run more than 1,500 miles on a route connecting each of the 17 community colleges in Oregon. Averaging 32 miles per day, the run will take about 50 days during the summer of 2025.

President Cook is running to raise awareness of community colleges in Oregon and the challenges students face in meeting their basic needs. Oregon has approximately 200,000 community college students, making up 52% of all public and private higher education (HECC, 2022). Many community college students face significant obstacles, including housing and food insecurity, lack of child care, and transportation issues (Hope Study data, 2019).

The goal is to raise awareness of these issues and advocate for increased state funding to support students' basic needs. Funds raised will be distributed to each community college, directly supporting students' essential needs. To learn more about the campaign and see student stories, check out the video series at the bottom of this page.