St. Joe’s Stays Fit While Raising Funds for Science Curriculum

Students, staff, friends and family of St. Joseph School will be talking a walk for the good of science education at their second annual Walk-a Thon fundraiser May 23.

Participants will have a chance to get fit while raising money to support the school’s science curriculum for the K-8 Catholic school with just over 300 students.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Walk-a-Thon Committee Chairperson Anne Persiani said about the second annual walk. “The kids are really excited about it.”

Students have already exceeded last year’s fundraising mark of $29,000, she said.

The one-hour walk starts in the morning at the school and parents, grandparents, friends, parishioners and staff members will meet students outside. The Kindergarteners walk with an eighth grader buddy and first graders walk with seventh graders. Along the course, there will be optional activities for the students like hula hooping and jumping hurdles. 

They proceed through the school and church grounds and the surrounding Avon Lake neighborhood under the guidance of parents.

Last year, the school band played the Star Spangled Banner and Father Tim O’Connor, pastor of St. Joseph Parish, said a prayer and blessed the feet of walkers. Persiani said this year walkers should expect the same.

Everybody is also looking forward to walking with Lady Viking, a Golden Retriever named for the school’s mascot, The Vikings. She was auctioned off to a family of the parish at the first annual walk. This year there won’t be an auction, according to Persiani, mother of a first and third grader and a member of the St. Joe’s Parent Teacher Organization. The fundraiser is ideal because students don’t have to go door-to-door selling items for money.

“There is no other fundraising other than letters sent out to families, friends, relatives and corporations. As money comes in, we track the donors and provide thank you notes for kids to send letters to their sponsor.

“It’s a simplified way to raise funds for PTO. It’s safe and gets kids involved and moving, which is fantastic.”

Last year, money raised went to the installation of ActivBoards in several classrooms and additional laptops for students. This year, the science curriculum will benefit.

“The members of the P.T.O. will look at areas where the school and students can benefit,” she said. “We’ll talk with the principal and teachers to see the areas of need. Next year we’ll be able specify even further how it helped the science curriculum.

“I had seen it work at another school—St. Mary’s in Mentor-and wanted to try it at St. Joe’s to see what the response was, and over 90 percent of our families participated last year.”

“Our next hurdle,” she said, “is just making sure the weather is great”