Middle School Gets Wacky to Fundraise Healthfully

At College View Middle School, gone are the days of candy bar sales. For the past several years, the school has hosted one fundraiser each year and has not only met, but surpassed its $8,000 fundraising goal — in just one day!

Each year, students and staff look forward to the Wacky Walk-a-thon, an opportunity to dress up in crazy attire and walk or jog laps while listening to music and socializing with friends. “After completing our fourth Wacky Walk-a-thon, I still hear from parents about how much they like this fundraiser and how their child loves running or walking outside on the track,” said Physical Education Teacher Kelsey Rhodes, who has been instrumental in organizing the annual event in partnership with the school’s principal and guidance counselors.

How does it work? Prior to the walk-a-thon, students collect pledges from friends, family members and neighbors. On the day of the walk-a-thon, students receive a card to track their progress as they walk or run laps. Volunteers punch the students’ card as they complete each lap, and after ten laps, they receive a complementary bottle of water at the concession stand.

Students earn incentives depending on how much money they raise. For example, if they raise $5, they earn a “no homework” pass, and if they raise $75, they earn admission to a dance party during the school day — another way to get moving at school! The student who brings in the most money gets the most coveted prize: swapping places with the principal for a day.

One of the keys to the fundraiser’s success is that all students, regardless of how much money they have raised, participates in the walk-a-thon. “Students often don’t think of physical activity as fun, or think they have to be an athlete to work out,” said Kelsey. “We are trying to show them that it doesn’t have to be that way.”

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