The first sunny, warm fall day in nearly two weeks brought together everyone from Penn State tutors to local Girl Scout troops at the fifth annual Steps to Safety 5K Walk/Run yesterday afternoon.

Pledges and registration money from about 306 participants in the race support the Centre County Women's Resource Center Endowment Fund. The fund contributes to the center's financial stability and future, Director Anne Ard said.

Last year, more than $8,000 was raised for the fund, but this year's total will not be finalized until all pledges are collected, said Kristen Saacke-Blunk, chair of the Steps to Safety committee.

The costs of the race are covered by local and corporate sponsors, so all proceeds go to the fund, Saacke-Blunk said.

Kathryn Dansky, assistant professor of health policy and administration, said the idea for the race resulted from the rape of a Penn State student five years ago while she was running on the Penn State golf course path. She said S5s Running for Pancakes, a group of female runners from State College, decided to start the 5K because it wanted to do something to promote safety and reclaim the jogging path.

"We all came together because we believe in running and safety," Erica Nodell, S5 member, said.

The S5s Running for Pancakes is a group that runs the Penn State golf course jogging path in the mornings. Afterward, the group gathers at The Waffle Shop, 1610 W. College Ave., and orders S5, the menu code for blueberry pancakes, Dansky said.

Dansky, one of 10 S5 members, added that they continue to fundraise for the center and get others to sign up for the 5K.

David Frederickson (senior-mathematics) said his boss at the University Learning Center told employees that if they could get a team together, she would pay for half of registration. Frederickson said he and four other students attended because they felt it was for a good cause.

The Penn State women's lacrosse team also came to support the event and get a workout, head coach Suzanne Isidor, said.

Troop leader Cathy De Wolfe said about 15 girls in Girl Scout Troops 1222 and 1228 of State College were old enough to participate in the race this year. She said that as Brownie Girl Scouts, they couldn't raise money for groups other than their troops, so they made signs to encourage runners.

"It's about girls supporting women, and hopefully, they will continue to as they grow," De Wolfe said.

The overall male winner was Max Feldman (junior-secondary education), who clocked in at 16:35, and the overall female winner was Meira Minard, editorial assistant for the Penn State Chemistry Journal, who clocked in at 20:58.