Running for Oregon Community College Students

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 28, 2025

Marathon Mission: 1,500 Miles, 17 Colleges, 50 Days, 1 Cause

Ontario, Oregon – This summer, an Oregon community college president is hitting the pavement to spotlight a critical issue: the basic needs of community college students. Beginning mid-June, Clackamas Community College President Dr. Tim Cook — an avid marathoner — will embark on a bold challenge to run to every community college in Oregon. That’s more than 1,500 miles over 50 days, averaging 32 miles per day.

The Running for Oregon Community College Students (ROCCS) campaign is a statewide awareness and fundraising initiative designed to highlight the challenges today’s students face and to advocate for increased state funding for essential support services. Funds raised through ROCCS will be distributed directly to participating colleges to support students’ basic needs, including food, housing, child care, and transportation.
A recent survey from The Hope Center underscores the urgency of this mission:

  • 41% of students reported experiencing food insecurity in the past 30 days.
  • 52% faced housing insecurity in the past year.
  • Nearly 20% experienced homelessness.

Oregon’s community colleges serve approximately 200,000 students, representing 52% of all public and private higher education enrollments in the state. Many of these students face significant barriers to success, and ROCCS aims to bring these issues to the forefront.

“As a first-generation college student, I understand the transformative power of education,” said Dr. Tim Cook. “Through ROCCS, I aim to shed light on the significant challenges our students face, rally support to address these critical needs, and raise awareness of the valuable role community colleges play in our state.”

Treasure Valley Community College (TVCC) is proud to support this mission and will host the official kickoff event on Monday, June 16 at 8:00 a.m. in the fountain area outside the Student Services building on the TVCC campus in Ontario, Oregon.

“At TVCC, we see firsthand the resilience and determination of our students, many of whom are balancing academics with significant life challenges,” said Dr. Dana Young, President of Treasure Valley Community College. “We are honored to be part of the ROCCS campaign and stand united with our fellow colleges in advocating for the resources our students need to thrive.”

Donations to Treasure Valley Community College and the ROCCS campaign will go directly to the TVCC Foundation. “All the donations received to benefit TVCC will be collected through the Clackamas Community College donation portal, which, after the completion of the campaign, will go directly to TVCC,” according to Foundation Executive Director Cathy Yasuda. “All the donations we receive for TVCC will be directed to support basic needs for our students including food, housing, childcare, and transportation. We are excited to be a part of this statewide initiative and help meet the goal of raising $150,000. Yasuda said you can choose to make your donation to TVCC through the online donation portal on the www.run4orccstudents.org website.”

Follow Dr. Cook’s training and daily progress during the run on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/run4orccstudents/

To donate or learn more about the campaign, visit: http://run4orccstudents.org/ 

The ROCCS campaign is made possible through the generous support of Rivermark Community Credit Union, Johnson RV, and Daimler Truck North America.

For more information, please contact Cathy Yasuda, TVCC Foundation Executive Director, at 541-881-5586 or cyasuda@tvcc.cc.

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Treasure Valley Community College (TVCC) has been serving students since 1962 as an affordable, welcoming, and excellence-driven comprehensive community college. TVCC’s main campus is located in the heart of Ontario, Oregon, with other locations across Eastern Oregon and Western Idaho. A caring staff and faculty serve more than 3,000 students annually. Students can find their path to success here: from two-year degree programs to career and technical training, college credit for high school students to healthcare certifications, aviation programs to thriving athletics, TVCC offers a welcoming environment to launch students into their futures.