BISBEE – The Cochise College women had a bright and early, but worth-it, Saturday morning last weekend.
For the second straight year, the Apaches sacrificed much of their third Saturday in October to assisting with the annual Great Bisbee 1000 Stair Climb, a race that draws thousands to the town to race nine sets of stairs and has dubbed itself “the 5k that feels like a 10k.”
“The Bisbee Stair Climb is such a unique and successful local event, we are proud to be able to volunteer for the second year in a row,” said first-year Cochise head women’s coach Laura Hughes. “It’s a great opportunity for us to give back to our local community that provides our college and program so much support.”
The Cochise women started their volunteer duties on Friday afternoon, helping with registration and set-up from 3 to 6 p.m. The next morning, the squad returned to the starting line by the courthouse at 5:30 a.m. and was all over Old Bisbee setting up the course, getting participants registered and organizing racers into their respective starting groups.
The Apaches could also be found at various parts of the four-mile long course directing runners and cheering them on, and later timing the Ice Man competition held after the race.
This year’s Bisbee 1000 was the 21st time the event has been organized by Save Our Stairs, Inc., as a fundraiser for numerous organizations in Cochise County. Part of the money raised will come back to the Cochise women’s basketball program.
“We would like to thank the organizers for all of their support, and we look forward to working with them in the future,” Hughes said.