LA PLATA, Md. (Oct. 13, 2009)—Wellness was the focus at J.C. Parks Elementary School on Friday, Oct. 2, as students from all grade levels, as well as staff members, marched in circles around the parking lot to raise more than $10,000 for the school. The event was the school’s Mustang Marathon Wellness Walk-a-Thon, which focused on raising funds for the school through health-related activities.
The walk was coordinated by Parks physical education teacher Melissa Moorehead and Betsy Keesler, Parks’ school nurse, as a way for students to learn about wellness while raising funds for the school. “This event is a homegrown, grassroots effort. All proceeds feed back into the Parks school community,” Keesler said.
Students were assigned a 50-minute period to walk laps around the school parking lot, and were encouraged to ask family members to sponsor them with donations. Water stations were set up along the designated walk area and parent volunteers recorded the number of laps walked for each student. During the month of September, students received instruction in their physical education class about the benefits of walking, safety in walking, fun trivia about walking as a sport, as well as health benefits of any exercise program.
Additionally, both Moorehead and Keesler used the morning announcements as a tool to talk with students about wellness. “In class, we had events like Wellness Wednesday, a fitness testing unit and provided wellness tips for students during announcements,” Moorehead said.
The school also provided custom made shirts for staff and volunteers, and school spirit items for students, such as bracelets, to thank them for their participation. This was the second marathon fundraiser coordinated to benefit the school and its community.
Source: Charles County public school system