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March 29, 2024 1:51 am
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Students Walk For Health And For The Schoo

By MAGGIE MCMURRAY

Moapa Valley Progress

Grant Bowler Elementary students (l to r) Talli Fairchild, Deni Farrel, Jennica Zerkle and Paige Harter had a great time together during the school’s walk-a-thon fundraiser event last week. PHOTO BY MAGGIE MCMURRAY/Moapa Valley Progress.
Grant Bowler Elementary students (l to r) Talli Fairchild, Deni Farrel, Jennica Zerkle and Paige Harter had a great time together during the school’s walk-a-thon fundraiser event last week. PHOTO BY MAGGIE MCMURRAY/Moapa Valley Progress.

Grant Bowler Elementary School students showed they could really “walk-the-walk” on Friday when they participated in the fourth annual Bowler PTO Walk-a-thon.

The walk-a-thon is held as a fundraiser for the school. Bowler students collect pledges for the school from family and friends and then cover as many miles as possible on the day of the event. The students participate during the time that they would have been in PE so no instruction time is sacrificed.
All the students were given the opportunity to walk, but the individual students got to determine how much or how fast they wanted to go. Some kids took off at a run but most kids meandered more slowly, choosing to laugh and talk with their friends as they went.

“The walking was a lot of fun,” said Bowler student Canyon Andrews. “Plus, it’s way better than math!”
The annual walk-a-thon has proven to be the PTO’s most successful fundraiser of the year. Last year the walk-a-thon netted $14,000 which the PTO used to purchase 20 I-pads for classrooms. It also funded many other PTO activities like Dads and Donuts and Grandparent’s Day.
“The walk-a-thon is great because 100% of the donated money goes straight to the school,” said PTO President Tami Clove. “There is no cut for anyone in the middle.”

Clove said that Principal Shawna Jessen had asked the PTO to put Chromebooks in every classroom this year. These will complement the I-pads purchased last year.
Local business sponsors are a also big part of the success of the fundraiser. Many sponsors donated upwards of $500, while others donated prizes and incentives for the kids. Almost all local businesses were involved.
“The businesses that help us out are so wonderful,” Clove said. “I know it’s hard times but their willingness to help us out is amazing.”

Physical Education Instructor Denise Hoy loves the fundraiser for an entirely different reason. This year Hoy has been working to promote fitness. The school is participating in a national program called the “100 Mile Club” that encourages every student to cover 100 miles walking during the course of the school year. All the miles from the walk-a-thon count toward each individual student’s total.

To keep track of each kid’s distance, parents were on hand to punch every kid’s card after each lap. Four punches equaled a mile. Most kids were able to travel between two and three miles in the time allotted each grade. That adds up very quickly.
“This is a great event,” said Hoy. “I love that it achieves two purposes. I also love that it encourages fitness and that it is a family event.”

Parents and families were invited to join in the fun and walk with their students. Several families took up the challenge.
Local grandmother Jeanine Bowerman came to join her grandson Ransom Johnson in the walk.
“I just wanted spend some time with Ransom and I knew it would be a great time to just talk and I could listen and not be distracted,” Bowerman said. “It was a great opportunity to be together.”
Parent Becky Kelly said she came because, “I like to help and I love the kids. It’s so much fun. It’s like a party!”

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