With the cost of a college education continuing to swell, the need for accessible scholarships and grants has never been more prevalent. For the past decade, the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce has done more than its share, doling out $130,000 in funds to students.

But in 2012, the well ran dry.

“We knew we needed to raise more money,” said Chamber spokeswoman Sara Garner. “There are so many deserving kids. It was something where we knew we needed to fill a need.”

After realizing the imperative need to increase fundraising capacity over the past few years, the Chamber was unable to award any monies in 2012, leaving a class of graduating seniors with one fewer option for making ends meet.

So the Chamber took action.

More than 300 runners and walkers took part in the first annual Spirit of Bellevue 12K run and 5K run/walk on August 12. Another 200-plus volunteers including the Interlake and Bellevue cross country teams were on hand to offer support to the competitors and take what Chamber officials will become another in a long line of defining events in the Bellevue fitness community.

With hundreds of spectators and supporters as well as the vendors who took part in a health and fitness fair, the Chamber is optimistic about the prospects for reinstating the scholarships in 2013 and pleased with the local involvement brought about by the project.

“We saw potential for raising the funding by bringing it to the community,” Garner said.

In the past, a golf tournament and other events have been the staple fundraisers for the Chamber. But Garner said those events had a tendency to be self-contained in participation and don’t offer the involvement from the community that the Chamber believes can sustain the scholarship program for years to come.

Several residents of Bellevue and surrounding areas took home top finishes, with Natalie Fowler second in the female 5K, Colin Hakes of Medina first in the male 5K, followed by Daniel Nortz of Clyde Hill in third.

Mary Bakeman and Masako Tsukahara, both of Bellevue, were second and third in the female 12K and Bellevue residents John Fowler and Glenn Weissman were second and third respectively in the male 12K run.

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