McGilvra class heroes something to be

McGilvra Elementary students ran, jumped and crawled their way around the schoolyard for the first Move-a-Thon fundraiser on Wednesday, Oct. 10.

The McGilvra PTA’s first major fundraiser of the year, the Move-a-Thon was formerly known as the Run-a-Thon, but the addition of yoga, parkour and meditation this year necessitated a name change.

“It was just running around the field and running around the school,” said McGilvra PTA co-president Emily Carmichael of past iterations.

The Run-a-Thon made its $65,000 goal last year, and this year’s Move-a-Thon had a $75,000 goal. Carmichael said the school benefits from involved parents, community members and businesses. Bert’s Red Apple was the title sponsor.

“We just get a lot of help from sponsorships and community organizations that want to help us out and help out their neighborhood school,” she said.

Students also did some of the fundraising.

“Some kids walked around their neighborhood and knocked on doors,” Carmichael said. “Some kids get really fired up about it.”

Parent volunteers, their parkour instructor Curt Jordan from the Kong Academy and the McGilvra Wildcat mascot encouraged students as they made their way around an obstacle course set up in the school’s playfield, while a meditation room was also available, and yoga was held in the gym. Carmichael said the event was timed in a way that students could do multiple activities.

The Move-a-Thon had a superhero theme. Many students participated while wearing masks they made in art class, and some added capes to their costumes.

Funds raised during the event will go into the PTA’s general fund, and members will later vote on a spring budget. There is always need, Carmichael said, as the state Legislature’s funding contribution remains too low. McGilvra Elementary went without a school counselor last year, and the PTA was able to fund the position this year.

“Next year is kind of set up to be what looks like kind of a scary year in terms of what funding we’re not going to get,” Carmichael said of the state’s contribution.

The Annual Fund, an all-year appeal to McGilvra families to fund additional teachers and school resources, will start in November.