Walk-a-thon raises funds for pool lifeguard wages, repairs

Submitted by Kelsey Scrupps

The 14th Annual Friends of the Pool Walk-A-Thon was held Sunday, April 28, and the kids raised over $3800 as of Monday, totaling over $7,000 total counting sponsors. According to Kimberly Ryan, FOP secretary, 69 students signed up, collected pledges, walked/ran or did both! Most of them were school age children, but participants ranged in age from one year old to adults who took advantage of the fresh air and exercise.

The pledge walkers walked or ran a total of 756 laps around the track at Finney Field for a total of 189 miles. Oceanna Reeves, 4th grade, walked and ran the most laps, 35 total laps or 8.75 miles!

All the children who signed up to take part in the walk-a-thon received a T-shirt and a prize to start the event. Prizes worth $500 were given out randomly during the walk-a-thon, along with popsicles and water provided by Odessa Golf & RV and Odessa Foods to cool the kids down and give them a break if needed.

Businesses and community members who donated cash or prizes for the walk-a-thon had their name or logo printed on the back of the shirt (26 names and logos in all). New this year to the T-shirts was the FOP's new logo with a pool/water theme, designed by a new Odessa resident's company Alyson Wilson Designs.

The grand prize this year was a Nintendo Switch won by Katie Mae Shelton who raised over $1,200!

At each grade level, children were recognized for completing the most laps during the walk-a-thon. They were Harley Ryan in the pre-pre-K group, Emersyn Alberston and Harper Carstensen in the pre-K group, Taryen Carroll in the Kindergarten group, Gavin Scrupps for the first-grade group, Kaleb Walter in the second-grade group, Brayln Scheckel for the third-grade group, Oceanna Reeves in the fourth-grade group, Aiden Schmierer and Ashely Zagelow for the fifth-grade group and David Strode in the seventh-grade group. All won gift cards to the Odessa Drive-In and a small pool-themed prize.

"We were blown away at the dedication the children made to getting donations for this year's walk-a-thon." said Kelsey Scrupps, FOP president. The planning committee for the event consisted of Kimberly Ryan, Sara Dirks, Kelsey Scrupps, Blayne Albertson, Corrisa Conner and Raye Scrupps.

The funds raised by the children through the walk-a-thon will go towards lifeguard wages this year in order to keep the pool open the same number of hours as last year, as well as to make repairs to the pool itself and the pool house. A $10,000 donation to the Town of Odessa for wages will be presented at the start of the swim season.