Around 500 people were part of Bloomingdale High School’s annual Running of the Bulls 5K on January 18. The Running of the Bulls 5K is a fundraiser for the band and generates scholarships for two Bloomingdale High School students. This year’s event was the eighth annual event and with tremendous support from the community, it was the largest event yet.
Brandon Witherow and Kayandra Williams were the male and female overall winners of the 5K.
Witherow, a senior at Bloomingdale, finished with a time of 16:17. Williams, a junior at Bloomingdale, finished with a time of 21:15.
“The Running of the Bulls is always a fun and well-organized event. It’s fun to go out there and run with friends and family in order to raise money for Bloomingdale’s Rajun’ Bull Band. The environment is amazing with free food and great music from our very own drumline,” Witherow said.
Band director Jordan Fraze ran the race and is grateful for the community that comes out to support Bloomingdale students and the band and guard program. The profit from the event is replacing outdated instruments. Many students in the band are still using instruments that have been there since the school’s inception in 1987.
“The outpouring of support from runners, walkers and corporate sponsors will help us to update our inventory (of instruments) as well as ease the financial burden on families by keeping their yearly band expenses low,” Fraze said.
Thirty-four local businesses supported the Running of the Bulls this year. The title sponsors for the 2025 event were Acropolis Greek Taverna, The Jeep Depot, Reed & Reed and Tropical Smoothie Cafe.
Hillsborough County Public Schools Superintendent Van Ayres ran the 5K and Bloomingdale Principal Dr. Marcos Rodriguez and his son, Alex, ran the race. School board members Lynn Gray and Patti Rendon were in attendance.
“The Running of the Bulls this year was a success! It was great to see our students, families, staff and community members unite for a great cause. I always enjoy listening to the drumline perform for the runners. I appreciate our community sponsors for supporting this event and our school,” Rodriguez said.
For more information about the Running the Bulls 5K, visit the race page at https://runsignup.com/race/fl/valrico/runningofthebulls5kfl and the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bloomingdalebulls5k, or email bloomingdalebulls5k@gmail.com.
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