Northeast Elementary School needs to raise more than $2,900 to fully qualify for a solar energy grant it won earlier this year. The school is asking Lenoir County to run to its assistance.

As a fundraiser, Northeast is sponsoring a Fun Run for all ages on Saturday at the Kinston High School track. Three individual events are scheduled from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and proceeds from each will help the school meet qualifications for the $42,000 grant awarded by NC GreenPower.

The grant will be used to install an educational solar array at the school and includes teacher training and technology and curriculum resources to introduce students to clean energy and future jobs in the field.

Runners older than 18 will open the Fun Run with an event from 6:30-8 a.m. Runners 12 to 18 years old will take the track from 8:15-10 a.m. A Family Race is scheduled from 10-11:30 a.m.

The schedule of donations is: $5 for K-12 students, $15 for adults, $20 for a Family Combo of up to three members and $25 for a Family Combo of four members or more.

Registration will take place at the track and opens 30 minutes before each race.

Northeast has raised more than half of the $6,000 required to access the grant from NC GreenPower, a non-profit that supports renewable energy, carbon offset projects and solar installation grants for K-12 schools through its Solar+ Schools project. Northeast was one of 14 schools in the state to win a 2021 grant.

Supporters who would like to make a donation without breaking a sweat can go to https://donate.ncgreenpower.org/RocketsNE.