Eli and Mary Lynne Capilouto have given a combined 60 years of service to UAB.

Together, Mary Lynne and Eli Capilouto, who have worked at UAB for a combined 60 years, realize the work is all about the students. They are the honorary chairs for the NAS Dollars for Scholars event to be held April 30.

So when the NAS asked them to be honorary chairs of this year's Dollars For Scholars race, the Capiloutos were only too happy to oblige.

The event, a 5K/10K that raises money to fund scholarship programs, will be held Friday, April 30 in the Pepper Place district in downtown Birmingham. Race day registration begins at 4 p.m.; the race begins at 6 p.m. The registration fee is $30 through April 27 or $35 on the day of the race. Visit www.alumni.uab.edu to register.

"When you've been here for a combined 60 years, you're reminded every day that the reason you're here is for students," Eli says. "You also know how critical scholarship support can be, especially for UAB students. We have more students who are first-generation college students than most institutions, and more of our students have to work to get through school. These scholarships are a lifeline.

"This is not a donation to a charity; this is an investment in your future," Eli says. "These are our future Truman and Goldwater scholars. In a knowledge economy, we need students with the sharpest 21st century skills who are going to be continuous learners, navigate across complex disciplines and answer questions we can't even imagine today."

The National Alumni Society raised more than $42,000 to support UAB student scholarships in the Dollars to Scholars race this past year, and more than $105,000 has been raised in the first three years of the event. More than 750 runners participated in 2009, and twice that many people attended the event.

"We think it's great when UAB has fun activities for the community," Mary Lynne says. "We're strong believers in physical fitness, and this is a great activity for families and friends to be together and - in the process - raise important dollars for deserving students."

Eli and Mary Lynne have seen the benefits to scholarship recipients and the students' appreciation for the opportunities they were given.

The Capiloutos endowed a scholarship in the School of Public Health in memory of Eli's father 10 years ago. When Eli's mother died this past year, many of the recipients of the endowed scholarship sent him notes of encouragement. In the process, Eli discovered that many of those recipients made contributions to the scholarship after they finished school and became alumni.

"That shows you the appreciation that our students have for what others did for them," Eli says.

"We're fortunate that we get to see how appreciative these students are and how hard they work," Mary Lynne adds. "They're going to give back because of the opportunities they have been given."

The National Alumni Society Dollars to Scholars 5K/10K is open to anyone who wishes to participate. A party with games for all ages, food, beverages and a live performance by Big Daddy's New Band follows the event at 6:30 p.m. Visit www.uab.edu/alumni for more information or to register.