Cal State Long Beach students and faculty will have the opportunity to honor late physical therapy professor Peggy Moyer with sweat, tears and music by participating in a 5K run on Oct. 22.
Moyer, a CSULB professor in the physical therapy department for 31 years, died in August of this year after an almost 10-year battle with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of cancer that attacks the body’s immune system.
Organized by the CSULB Physical Therapy Student Association, the Peggy Moyer Memorial 5K Run/Walk will raise funds to try to name the new physical therapy anatomy lab the “Peggy Moyer Anatomy Lab,” according to PTSA president Matthew Downey.
The run, which is approximately three miles, will begin at 8 a.m. in front of the College of Business Administration building and follow a route throughout the CSULB campus.
Initially, the 5K was a fundraising tactic for PTSA, as October is National Physical Therapy Month.
However, after learning about Moyer’s death, PTSA Vice President Michelle Wynne came up with the idea of a memorial 5K to remember the professor and raise money for the department.
Downey said that this 5K will be an embodiment of what Moyer believed in.
“When Peggy passed we were all in such disbelief. I think once that disbelief wore off we all started wondering how we could help,” said Wynne.
According to the physical therapy department chair Jody Cormack, in order for the new anatomy lab to be named after Peggy Moyer Anatomy Lab, PTSA must raise $250,000.
“I hadn’t heard of anyone planning something to specifically honor Peggy. So, I reached out to our department director who informed me of their plan to name the new anatomy lab building after Peggy Moyer,” Wynne said. “It was then that we knew we had to help raise funds for this endowment.”
While there is no registration fee for the event, participants are encouraged to donate $15.
Cormack said that Moyer’s family will not be able to attend the run since they live in Atlanta, but they will be matching financially with donations.
“She was passionate about educating the next generation of physical therapists,” Downey said. “This 5K represents not only our remembrance of Peggy, but our department, our PTSA, and our profession’s dedication to giving back to the community.”
To help the runners maintain their positivity while completing this course, Downey said PTSA will also have water, fruit, and snacks available.
“Peggy had always been a very humble person, and I think her finding out about this 5K and the endowment would be a little embarrassing for her,” Cormack said. “She was always a giver and the receiving would be a bit difficult for her.”
In addition to teaching, Moyer rescued and cared for neglected farm animals.
According to Cormack, the physical therapy department will be having its 50 anniversary next August. The department is currently planning to celebrate its achievements by hosting another fundraiser with part of the proceeds going to endowment.
“Peggy meant so much to many people, naming the new anatomy building after her ensures that her role in our education will never be forgotten,” said Wynne.
To join in the Peggy Moyer Memorial 5K Run/Walk, participants can register onsite during the event.