By Andrew Martins, Managing Editor
On a dreary Tuesday afternoon, nearly 500 students at Hillsborough Elementary School celebrated the fact that they raised more than $11,000 to help fund some new upgrades at the school.
The Boosterthon Fun Run, which took place in the elementary school’s gymnasium on Nov. 15, had students running an average of 30 to 35 laps to help raise the money as the final event in a nine-day program aimed at showing how to make a difference in the community.
“It is a fitness event, but it’s a character program as well,” Boosterthon general manager Hilary Merlo said. “Ultimately, the students are learning what it means to make a difference in Hillsborough.”
The Boosterthon Fun Run is a national fundraising program that promotes fitness, leadership and character and partners with more than 1,900 schools each year.
Since its inception in 2001, Boosterthon has raised schools more than $150 million. Through the program, officials said students benefit from a “fun, interactive program that makes a positive impact on schools and develops leaders.”
Over the course of the program, which featured a “Backyard Box Office” theme, pupils learned about five steps they could use to make a change in their community.
To help drive those points home, five documentary-style videos created by students were shown throughout the nine-day event. Topics included “how to find a need, write a plan, rally a team, launch it now and grit it out.”
Each video told the story of a different successful student, including: Aidan Thomas Hornaday, founder of the non-profit AidanCares; Connor Ford, inventor of the Spirit app; Alex Triestman, founder of Brickshare, a LEGO-sharing organization for less fortunate kids; Trisha Prabhu, inventor of the ReThink app; and Winter Vinecki, the youngest person to run a marathon on each continent and Olympic Winter games hopeful.
“In our 15 years of serving schools, we’ve met incredible students with amazing ideas,” Chris Carneal, Boosterthon founder and president, said. “As a father of four, I know that young students don’t always know how to make their ideas happen. Backyard Box Office changes that. It celebrates five kid-leaders who have put their ideas into action, and it gives the students watching a clear path to do the same.”
In addition to the fundraising efforts that directly benefit the elementary school, Boosterthon also hosted a giveback initiative “A Million Students Strong,” which leverages the collective impact of more than 1 million students by donating meals to Feeding America food banks in local communities.
Through that program, each class that reaches $30 per lap will cause Boosterthon to donate three meals to local individuals in need. The organization hopes to provide 160,000 meals across the country and raise awareness about hunger in local communities.According to Boosterthon, Hillsborough Elementary School was able to donate 42 meals to a local food bank.
After running more than 14,000 total laps, school officials said the funds raised will cover costs for planned improvements.
“Students have been collecting pledges from all around the world,” Hillsborough Elementary School principal Susan Eckstein said. “We are hoping to replace our rusting playground equipment with new and more versatile equipment for all ages.”
