For as long as we can remember, the walk-a-thon has been a huge part of our school year. Schellie Scott brought the walk-a-thon to the school eleven years ago, and she and Kris Sikora have run the event every year. When we asked Schellie Scott how it started, she answered, "When I was a teacher at St. John's we had a walk-a-thon. When my daughter, Daley Scott, came here for school, I gave the idea to PTO, and Kris Sikora and I have been running it ever since." It is a great way to kick off the end of the year festivities. It is a fun event, and it also helps raise a lot of money for our school. The walk-a-thon helps a lot of people in many ways.

Some people might think that the walkathon is just about getting kids to walk laps, but that is not the case. It is a way to let kids have fun and to raise a good amount of money for our school. "I like watching the whole school walk together and work together for a good cause," Schellie Scott told us. In most cases, the kids are encouraged to walk a lot of laps because they get more donations depending on how many laps they walk. The walkathon is a day where kids get to have fun and know they are doing something good, and let's not forget the free popsicles! It is a special day for everyone associated with our school.

There is a lot of work that goes into making this day the great production that it has become. There is a very long list of things to worry about, from the popsicles to the music to the weather. "Worrying about the weather is my least favorite thing about the walk-a-thon," Schellie told us when we asked her the hardest part about managing the event. Preparation starts months in advance of the event; it all starts with the donations. There are many kids in the school, all with their own donations. The donations to our school come from everywhere, even overseas. There are many people willing to donate to this very successful fundraiser. When we asked Schellie what her favorite part of the event was. She answered, "I like seeing where all of the letters and donations come from, and the stories the donors have to tell."

The half hour of walking around the parking lot with popsicles and music that we have all come to know and love is a big production and Schellie Scott and Kris Sikora have put a lot of time and effort into it. The two have constantly been improving the occasion. "I wish we had a better system of showing the classes how close they are to their goal," Schellie told us. It is the only improvement I wish we were able to make. The fundraiser, from the walking to the slushies the students win if they reach their class fundraising goal, is a favorite to everyone involved.

The two managers, Schellie and Kris, have decided it is time to step down from their positions as the managers. We all greatly appreciate the time and effort the two moms put into making this day fun and exciting. The fundraiser will go on though, and there are many willing volunteers to take over their vacated positions. All the kids have had a great time through the years and hope to continue walking in the event for many years to come.