The Big Brothers Big Sisters Walk for Kids event is right around the corner, and organizers are counting on robust community support again this year.
“The Walk for Kids Sake is our biggest yearly in-school fundraiser,” said Jen Harty, interim executive director.
“We are very excited to be running this fundraiser again, and we are always so thankful for those who take the time to donate, and to the kids who are participating.
“We partner up with the schools in Lacombe and district, and this year, we have six different schools participating, Our fundraising goal this year is $40,000,” she said.
“The students from the various schools are the ones that raise the money, so they get out and about in the community and do the fundraising which is super cool,” she explained.
“Each year, we also do a different theme, and this year is Disney Pixar. The route is a 10-station obstacle course, and these courses are set up right at the individual schools, so each school is scheduled to hold the event on a different day.
“They get to also enjoy a bunch of activities at each station,” she said, adding that for the walk itself, every student in the given school can participate.
“It does include everyone, so even if they aren’t doing the fundraising, they can still be connected with Big Brothers Big Sisters and learn more about who we are and what we do,” she said.
“In Lacombe, we have J.S. McCormack, Father Lacombe, the Upper Elementary, and Terrace Ridge participating. We also have the Bentley Elementary School and the Iron Ridge Intermediate campus in Blackfalds,” she said.
James S. McCormick students will take part in the event on June 3-4, while Upper Elementary and Terrace Ridge students take part on May 27-28.
Father Lacombe students are slated for June 3-5, Iron Ridge students take part June 10-11, and Bentley students May 29-30.
“They can all fundraise up until June 19,” she said.
“We send all the schools pledge forms, and they also create online fundraising pages where they each have their links which people can go and donate to.”
Harty said there are prizes for the top fundraisers within each school, and then there is an overall top fundraising prize for all of the schools.
Prizes include a hoverboard or a Nintendo Switch, so the youth are pretty excited to pull in as many pledges as possible, she added.
The event has been organized by Jaxson Overacker, one of the organization’s group mentor coordinators.
“It is so exciting going into all the participating schools to speak at their assemblies and watch the kids become ecstatic when we tell them about the prizes they can win if they fundraise,” he said.
“Walk for Kids’ Sake keeps us connected with our community’s schools, businesses, students, and teachers. It brings them all together with a common goal of bettering the lives of as many children as possible.”
Meanwhile, all the money that is raised goes directly back into the participating schools for our in-school mentoring programs.
These include Game On, and Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds.
“Having the students going out and doing the fundraising — it helps Big Brothers Big Sisters to continue to strengthen our relationships with the schools and with the community,” said Harty.
“It also helps get the kids themselves connected to their communities.”