Parents encouraged their children from the sidelines as they ran laps in F.E. Burleson Elementary’s first Boosterthon Fun Run on Jan. 16. | Clif Knight

F.E. Burleson Elementary School celebrated the successful completion of a PTO-sponsored combined fundraiser and character-building program by conducting a Boosterthon Fun Run in the school gym on Jan. 16.

Students participated by running a lap for each cash pledge they received for the fundraiser. Kindergarten and first graders went first at 8:30 a.m., followed by second and third graders and finally by fourth and fifth graders. Parents stood on the sidelines and cheered them on as they ran their laps.

A carnival atmosphere was created in the school gym with continuous recorded music and lots of colorful amenities. Red racecourse cones were used to mark off running lanes and blue and red tents were set up in the infields for parents to stand or sit under. Students entered the gym through a large red and blue inflated tunnel.

Boosterthon team leader Jonathan Aultman said most of the younger runners complete between 30 and 35 laps during a 45-minute session while older runners run more laps.

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“It’s a special time for the kids to celebrate the hard work they’ve done over the past nine days,” he said. “We spend time in the classrooms each day collecting pledges, handing out prizes and talking to the students about the importance of developing good character and leadership traits while they’re young. “Our goal is to add value to the teaching process and leave the student with something that will be helpful to them for the rest of their lives.”

“This has been a wonderful experience,” said Principal Sherry Calvert. “I’ve heard nothing but positive feedback from our teachers, parents and students. “The money we raise will be used to purchase furniture for the classrooms. In addition, the emphasis the Boosterthon team members put on character development is on line with what we try to teach in the classroom every day.”

Aultman spoke highly of Burleson School.

You have a incredible culture here,” he pointed out. “It all starts at the top where Principal Sherry Calvert does a terrific job. Plus, the teachers are wonderful, the PTO is very supportive and the students are among the best of all with whom we’ve worked.”

Boosterthon Fun Run is an Atlanta-based fundraising company that works with hundreds of schools in 16 states. It helps administrators forge a positive, energetic school culture where students love to learn, relieves teachers of the stress of fundraising, freeing them to teach, energizes parent organizations with a hassle-free fundraising event and impacts students with a nine-day experience that leaves the lasting value of an engaging character and fitness campaign.