Loretto Academy was established in 1923; this has led to the initiation of many school traditions that have been going on for years and will continue to be a part of the Loretto community forever. 

One of these traditions is the Nun Run, which occurs once a year.

The Nun Run is a service-learning project, organized by the seniors, that consists of a 5k run serving as a fundraiser for the Sisters of Loretto in Pakistan and other charities.

Diane Kimpell, Nun Run organizer, said, “You have to get permits from the city, organize the police, the food, the runners, hire the race director, and coordinate the school.

The Nun Run is the senior service-learning project, and it’s a tradition at Loretto that will help the nuns in Pakistan with the money raised.”

The live race took place on January 29, 2022, and this year, there was a virtual option from January 20-29th, 2022.

The race started at 9:00 am and ended at 10:00 am MST, taking place at Loretto Academy on 1300 Hardaway.

To sign up, participants either paid an early-bird race fee of $20, $30 for late registration, plus the signup fee of $2.16. 

According to runsignup.com, in 2009, the Loretto Sisters began their mission in Pakistan.

Beginning in Faisalabad, they have now relocated to Lahore, where they operate the St. Anthony School, which has about 130 students and continues to grow.

They also run the Loretto Empowering Women in Pakistan (LEWP) program, which teaches Pakistani women skills including reading, writing, embroidery, and math. 

Adding on to their exemplary work, their activity also involves the installation of solar panels in Pakistan to help alleviate the country’s electricity shortage. 

The 2022 senior class goal is to continue to support them by raising funds to ensure Loretto’s Pakistan mission can help make a difference for many underprivileged people.