Parading around the neighborhood
Published 9:04 am Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Fifth-grader Madison Lang, green sweatshirt, walks with her classmates during the Southgate Elementary School Walkathon Tuesday. -- Trey Mewes/trey.mewes@austindailyherald.com
Southwest Austin got a giant gaggle of gators raising money Wednesday.
Students marched in Southgate Elementary School’s 17th annual walkathon Tuesday morning, making good on their promises to pledge donors. What’s more, students raised about $13,000 this year, around the same amount they raised in 2010.
“It’s wonderful,” said Southgate Principal Edwina Harder.
Tracy Braaten walks with her third-grade class during the Southgate Elementary School Walkathon Tuesday morning.
The gators walked a little more on the wild side this year. Instead of taking a stroll around the school, students paraded around the neighborhood with a few fire engines in tow.
“We figured it’s not really a walkathon if you only walk around the school,” said Holly Johnson, president of Southgate’s Parent Teacher Committee.
The event is run by PTC parents and volunteers who collected money Monday and Tuesday. While a few more pledges will trickle in, parents and staff are excited about the level of energy everyone puts in to make it a success.
“We’re blessed to have such supportive parents,” said Ann Sundal, third grade teacher at Southgate.
This year’s donations will go towards several projects, from funding a Chinese acrobat assembly in October to a math magic workshop in the spring and paying for field trip transportation costs. Johnson said the PTC’s focus this year is improving Southgate’s playground equipment.
Last year, students earned about $13,500. On average, the walkathon earns between $12-$14,000 annually, money which is used by Southgate’s Parent Teacher Committee to buy school supplies and pay for lectures, field trips and other necessary educational opportunities.
