FOP Walk-a-thon engages school kids, parents, friends

Spring Fling wrapped up with the seventh annual Friends of the Pool Walk-a-thon held Sunday, April, 29, raising over $4,500 for the organization’s projects. According to Suzie Deife, FOP President, a total of 65 walkers collected pledges. Most of them were school-aged children, but participants ranged in age from one year old to adults who joined in and took advantage of the fresh air and exercise.

The pledge walkers walked or ran a total of 1,246 laps around the track at Finney Field for a total of 311.5 miles, amounting to an average of about 4.5 miles per person. The total number of laps completed is down from last year by 32. Marcus King and Jayd Jennings tied for most laps completed, coming in at 41 laps or 10.25 miles.

The youngest 40-lap runner was second-grader Brandon Lish who ran the entire way to mark off all 40 laps. Odessa High math teacher Travis Schuh was also an inspiration to the children and ran the entire 40 laps or 10 miles in less than an hour and a half.

All the children who had signed up to take part in the walk-a-thon received a T-shirt and a prize, with $600 in prizes awarded randomly during the event. Games were also played to give kids a break if needed. At the end of the walk-a-thon a toe-token necklace was given out with a foot symbolizing each lap completed.

Businesses and community members donated cash or prizes for the walk-a-thon and had their name or logo printed on the back of the shirt (42 in all). The front of the shirt featured a jersey-style sports theme created by Danielle Hardung of the FOP.

Most prizes were also sports themed to go with the grand prize of a family suite at Triple Play fun center, along with four wrist bands for the water park. Daeton Deife worked hard collecting pledges from 20 different people and raising over $720 to win the Triple Play gift certificate.

The second-grade class, with the highest amount dollars pledged, received ice-cream certificates from the Odessa Drive-In. They brought in over $1,100. The Joel and Danielle Hardung family had the highest amount of dollars pledged, bringing in $364 and winning a family pass for the 2012 swim season.

At each grade level, children were recognized for completing the most laps walked during the walk-a-thon. They were Reegan Carstensen for the pre-K group, Jacob Scrupps for kindergarten, Austin Iverson for first grade, Brandon Lish for second grade, Tim DeWulf for third grade, Marcus King for fourth grade and Ilan Coberly for fifth grade. Each won a boogie board to use at the pool this summer.

Jayd Jennings won for the most laps walked for sixth graders, and Cole Kissler won for seventh graders. Each received a $10 concession card to use at the pool this summer.

“We ensured this year that each child walked away with a prize the day of the walk-a-thon,” said Deife. The planning committee for the event included Deife, Hardung, Lindsy Starkel, Carmen Weishaar, Cory Carstensen, Rebecca Maddock, Deanna Lobe, April Steward and Jessi Lish.

Prior to the event, Hardung and Deife visited the elementary school to talk to the children about the walk-a-thon and to encourage participation. The funds raised by the children through the walk-a-thon will go towards updating the boys’ and girls’ bathrooms by installing new toilets and painting the interior walls. The FOP will once again supplement the cost of swim lessons by donating all food/drinks for the concession stand. FOP will also donate $600 toward cleaning and upkeep of all the pools during the swim season.