More than 700 Cerra Vista students laced up their sneakers and
strolled through a sea of construction-paper creatures at the
school’s fourth annual walk-a-thon Friday, raising more than
$20,000 for supplimental materials for their school.
More than 700 Cerra Vista students laced up their sneakers and strolled through a sea of construction-paper creatures at the school’s fourth annual walk-a-thon Friday, raising more than $20,000 for supplimental materials for their school.
Run by the Parent/Teacher Organization (PTO), and sponsored by more than 35 local businesses, the walk-a-thon is the school’s biggest fund-raiser of the year.
“Last year we had four sponsors and this year 35,” PTO President Renee George said. “The community support has been amazing.”
Carrying on with the theme “A Walk Thru the Sea,” each classroom was asked to create a banner depicting the ocean. The colorful banners covered the yard fence creating an under the water experience.
After completing one lap, each student was given a ticket. After four tickets, they could get a prize, but third-grader Nicholas Kemppainen chose to stock up.
“I’m saving my tickets to get something big,” he said.
Along with walking, the students enjoyed different booths scattered around the blacktop where they could collect prizes, jump in a bounce-house, learn about starfish and sea horses and play musical games with a DJ. SpongeBob SquarePants also made a guest appearance.
“It’s so important for us to step up and help the school right now,” George said. “The district can’t afford new playgrounds or new cabinets, and we want this to be the best school it can be.”
Physical education equipment, overhead projectors and a kindergarten playground are just a few of the things the walk-a-thon has funded in the past. Along with supplies and school improvements, the PTO gave all 34 teachers at the school $100 each for teacher appreciation week this year.
“It’s the end of the year and there are fun things the teachers still want to do, but they can’t because they don’t have any money left,” George said.
Third-grade teacher Lisa Uccello said Cerra Vista teachers are fortunate to have such a supportive PTO.
“With all the budget cuts going on, it’s nice to know we have a strong support system here,” she said. “A lot of the time, we spend so much money out of our own pockets on supplies, so it’s wonderful.”
Keeping with the ocean theme, the school held an art competition to grace the front of the walk-a-thon T-shirts. Fifth-grader Hannah Cobb’s drawing won, and George said there were more than 250 entries submitted.
“The students have been so excited about this,” she said. “On April 1, we came out at an assembly and told them the walk-a-thon was canceled and they were bummed. But when we said ‘April Fools’ they couldn’t stop cheering.”
