Another annual tradition the mighty Bulldogs look forward to every year…the “Run with the Bulldogs Jogathon” is in the books!
The nearly decade old tradition of LFCS students and parents joining together in Jogathon t-shirts and patriotic attire for a common goal took place this past Friday. Over 1300 students made the bus ride from their campus, the Junior Academy, Primary Academy or the Liberty Academy, to join their peers on the fields of the High School for a day of sport, fun, and fundraising! Mrs. Beyer refers to this coordination as a “ballet of buses” as it only took about 16 buses to transport all of our students in such a short amount of time.
With the direction of LFCS Athletic Director, Linn Dunton and LCHS PE Coach, Jon Abbas the courses were built to ensure safety while fun was had by everyone. Much effort was put into training members of the High School Cross Country Team and the Leadership Council to guarantee that our K-8 students would know just what to do when they arrived on campus.
Some of our kinders were so focused that they weren’t sure about following the orange vests because the instructional video said to follow the green vests! It was a labor of love and completely worth all the hard work to see our student body thoroughly enjoying themselves (and taking instruction so well). Not to mention the fact that this entire effort is a fundraiser that 100% supports LFCS Technology needs.
Mr. Keough comments every year that his absolute favorite part of the day is watching the kids take off from the start line at the same time. No matter which grade they are in, the looks on the students face show sheer determination and exuberance towards tackling the course in front of them. If you want to know what I mean, stop by his office at the Junior Academy, he’s got a picture of it blown up on the wall! The energy was electric and the memories are lasting.
Despite a false fire alarm, a broken down bus, and a few skinned knees the 2017 Jogathon was another LFCS success story. By the day of the Jog-a-thon, Heather Dalman, the Fundraising Coordinator for the Jog-A-Thon reported that over $10,000 dollars had been raised! And at that time this was written, donations were still pouring in! All of the funds raised will be used for new technology in the classroom and other classroom needs. The expectation is that this fundraiser will be at least $30,000.
It’s moments like these when you see our kids, K-12 laughing, parents cheering and people serving one another that we are reminded why Literacy First Charter Schools is such a unique and special place. Our students really do matter and our staff really does care. Every year we are impressed by the generosity of our families and their friends and family who join in the success of this fundraiser.
If you haven’t had the opportunity to participate in this LFCS tradition, be sure to stop by next year to see it all first-hand…or write a check! It is well worth it!