Since September 24th, the Wesley community has been in “Walkathon mode”. Parents and students have been getting pledges or doing things to raise money for the school. Our annual walkathon is the only event that we put on each year to raise money for our own community. Every other fundraising event through our monthly Care and Share Day is for outside charities or organizations. As a not-for profit charity, fundraising is a critical part of Wesley Christian Academy’s financial stability. Student tuition covers teachers’ salaries and some basic operational costs. However, maintenance, upgrades to existing equipment and resources, or their complete replacement requires significant outside funding. Our goal this year was to raise $75 000 to help offset some of the expenses that we incurred over the summer months to upgrade our facilities. Some of these included
- Parking lot pavement repairs and addition of new speed bumps
- New countertops, sinks and faucets for four of our elementary bathrooms
- New countertops, sinks, cabinets, and washroom vanities for six of our ELC classrooms
- New hand washing station in the cafeteria
- New exterior doors for our west side entrance at the rear of the building
- Installation of new artificial turf for the ELC playground extension
- Installation of a new bridge, rope climber and surface replacement for the elementary playground
- New fencing around the rear playground, grass and pavement areas
- New desks for one of our elementary classrooms and replacement tops for desks in two additional elementary classrooms
We are proud to share that many of our students worked hard to do their share of fundraising. Some sold homemade cookies while others made buttons and donated the proceeds.
Our walkathon event took place yesterday. The weather was perfect – sunny skies and cool but not too cold. Our Toddler 1 class were the first to complete their walk in their enclosed playground at the front of the school. To make it a little different than their regular outdoor time, they were given musical instruments and streamer ribbons, and were encouraged to walk with them. As this was all new to them, some were a little perplexed while others enjoyed the new experience.
Our PK1 class took advantage of more space for their walk. They used the elementary grounds at the back of the school in the morning. With music pumping from a portable speaker, these students waved their ribbons and happily followed their teachers on the long trek.
PK2 used a dress-up theme to make their experience fun. Led by Mrs. Brown in a colourful clown suit, many of the students had capes, fire fighter outfits, and other costumes on.
Across the way in the toddler playground, the Toddler 2 class enjoyed moving with their flags and musical instruments.
After lunch, the JK to Grade 8 students held their event. With great enthusiasm and excitement, Mrs. Ma rallied the elementary students. She explained the safety rules and encouraged everyone to have fun. Ms. Romeo also mentioned that teachers would be watching to keep track of who would win various “walkathon leadership” prizes. The Grade 3-8 students walked or ran along the outside perimeter of the playground while the Grade 1-2 students stayed inside the fenced area.
The JK and SK classes had their own space within the enclosed fence area. They waved their flags and watched the older students around them. Many were extremely excited to see older siblings!
For over one hour, the students kept going. Some students ran while others walked. Many did these activities in groups and in creative ways to make it fun! There were groups singing, doing fun poses, walking arm-in-arm, and running of course!
Students were also rewarded with punch cards that they could redeem for a maximum of 4 mini candy bars or Welches Fruit Snacks. Some enjoyed them during their run/walk while others collected or traded treats to take home to enjoy later.
At 3:00 PM, the elementary students gathered on the pavement area for a short assembly. Ms. Romeo and Miss Luk handed out certificates to those students who demonstrated various leadership qualities during the walkathon. Awards were given for the best energy, manners, sportsmanship, kindness, smiles, movement in creative ways, singing, etc. Ms. Romeo also shared the subtotal amount that has been raised so far – $ 41,948.75 – excluding the money from the raffle and other pledges that are still slowly trickling in. Two classes had 100% participation – Grade 4A and Grade 6B!. Congratulations to the Grade 4B class for raising the highest amount – $3,650.00! Next, Ms. Romeo drew names for a special draw. For every $50 that a student raised, their name was entered once in the contest. Winners could select gift card prizes.
At 3:40 PM, the gym doors were open to welcome parents to the Scholastic book fair and walkathon raffle. It gave families a chance to mingle and enjoy a light snack of hotdogs and chips. With the beautiful weather, tables were also set up outside.
At 5:30 PM, the raffle prizes were awarded. We are particularly thankful for all who donated prizes and purchased tickets.
Our final tally for our annual fundraiser will be announced once we have had a chance to add the money raised from yesterday’s raffle and any other donations that trickle in.
A giant THANK YOU goes to everyone who supported this event – whether it was encouraging your child to ask for pledges from relatives at Mid-Autumn Festival or Thanksgiving dinner, sponsoring your own child, buying a few raffle tickets, and/or showing up to enjoy a hot dog at the BBQ and help us build a sense of community – we appreciate you and are grateful for your help. We are also very appreciative of your prayers of encouragement and support.