Students, alumni and Columbia residents gathered Thursday evening at Tiger Plaza for the fifth annual Mizzou Mile and 5K.

Mizzou Student Foundation President Melanie Brown said textbook scholarships have been given out for the past three years from the profits raised at the event. They hope to add four more scholarships after this year.

The guest of honor for the evening’s festivities, ESPN anchor and Wipe Out co-host John Anderson, is working to benefit students both at MU and at elementary schools across the nation.

Anderson and his wife, Tamara, have worked to promote the fitness of young children. The Running Club, sponsored by the Anderson Family Charitable Foundation, had members present at the event last night to meet Anderson and participate in some healthy exercise.

The Running Club is comprised of students from Parkade, Russell and Blue Ridge elementary schools who run a bit every week to promote physical fitness. This year, students in the Running Club were encouraged to run a total of ten miles by December.

Young members of the Running Club and others watched as Anderson took the stage before the running started.

Because the Mizzou Student Foundation was founded in the 1970s to represent the student body and thank those who give back to the community, Anderson chose to talk about the importance of providing financial support to MU. As a donor to the school, he prides himself on giving back to a university that gave to him.

“Without charitable gifts, Mizzou would sort of be the M-I-Z without the Z-O-U,” he said.

Anderson said giving to MU helps do three essential things: it protects the school, helps the school to grow and shares the university with more people. These three things promote a healthy school.

“It was great when I was here 25 years ago,” he said. “I look at it now, and it’s better.”

Anderson said he ran in his “previous life,” making the Mizzou Mile and 5K a great way to show his support of both fitness and MU.

“Anything I can do to support the school I’m for,” he said.

Anderson ended his speech before the run with an entreaty for today’s students in the crowd.

“This place will never leave you,” he said. “We just ask that you never leave us.”