The Mirror Newspapers Reflecting Life Along The Maumee River
BY KRISTI FISH | MIRROR REPORTER — Fairfield Elementary students participated in the annual Fairfield Fun Walk on October 14 to raise money for various events around the school.
“It’s just a chance to get them out here in the morning, run around, exercise a little bit, be healthy, have some fun, and in the meantime, Fairfield and Fairfield Families PTO will get a little bit of fundraising done, so we can actually fund our event for the year,” said Fairfield Families PTO president Jamie Tscherne.
The event helps raise money for the ice cream social, Donuts With Grownups, teacher appreciation and other activities throughout the year.
To help encourage each child with fundraising, prizes were offered when they hit a certain goal. Students who raised funds at the $75.00 and $150 levels were eligible for prizes, and the classroom with the most raised will win a pizza party.
Additionally, community sponsors donated $2,000 for this year’s event. Last year, the event raised approximately $12,000 in total, which Tscherne attributed partially to the families’ and community sponsors’ enthusiasm over the return of the event after being paused due to the pandemic.
“Typically, we’ve been more in the $5,000-7,000 range,” Tscherne said. “This year, we’re hoping we’ll reach that same goal, but we just appreciate the support.”
The total amount raised will be calculated after the event. Tscherne credited the volunteers, teachers and staff for making sure it ran smoothly.
“It’s a collaboration between our PTO group, Fairfield Families, as well as the school. The school takes care of drawing the track for us, and the teachers are huge in keeping their classes on track, watching all of the kids. It’s a group effort between our parent volunteers as well as our teachers and our staff,” Tscherne explained.
The kindergartners through fourth-graders were able to spend approximately 20 minutes outside for the event. Staff members cheered them on while they ran and walked their way around the makeshift track in matching T-shirts.
“The kids love it. They get so excited every year,” Tscherne said. “This is the first year we’ve had it back outside in a few years. With the pandemic it was canceled, and last year it rained, so they’re having a blast.”
