Run for Your Life!! ~or~ Pay Up, Please

Boosterthon!  It's fun!  It's fitness!!  It's...(not) free!!!  But it comes with a bunch of really cool free junk like t-shirts, headbands, shoelaces, backpacks, footballs (yes, footballs!), etc.  Just the motivational kind of crap every mother needs laying around the house!

So, just what is Boosterthon, you ask?  Well, it's Anderson Elementary's idea of a FUNdraiser -- with the emphasis on fun.  And let me tell you, it was lots and lots of fun...except for the calling around and begging for money part, of course.  The idea is that the kid calls his friend and family and asks them to sponsor him as he runs laps around a field.  All the money goes directly to the school and is used to purchase technology products for the classroom.  Great idea, right?  Except that getting your kindergartener to make the pitch over the phone is...well...it's like trying to get a 6-year-old to do anything that requires sitting still and speaking intelligibly. We managed to muddle through that part.

Race day dawned on a beautiful morning...a bit crisp, but beautiful.  The perfect day for a race, and much better than the day before which was cold and wet.

Lila was ready to get in on the action too!  (Oh, and by the way, she'll be hitting you all up for funds in a couple of years.  So start saving!)

Music thumped and parents cheered as Kinder took the field.  All the kids were psyched up and ready to run.

Lila made sure the Rehydration Station was well stocked for all the thirsty runners.

In a sea of white Boosterthon t-shirts, Jake was easy to spot.  He was the one wearing his very serious race-day face and doing his warm-up calisthenics. 

When the whistle blew, Jake shot out of the Kinder starting blocks - determined to be the first to cross the finish line. 

Keeping track of the laps was done by parent-volunteers with strong backs.  Each child had to stop at a designated spot to get the back of their shirt marked.  It created a bit of a bottle neck, but it also gave the kiddos a chance to catch their breath since these kids only have one speed -- full-throttle.

 

Rehydration breaks also offered an opportunity to take a breather.  

Some of our more experienced 1st grade friends, like Michael, opted not to stop for water - knowing that hydration breaks eat up valuable seconds in a race. 

But race coordinators did their very best to encourage water breaks, by enlisting the assistance of pretty girls to hand out cups.

Good buddy, Christopher represented for 1st grade by crossing the finish line first.  Jake met his goal just moments after.  He was the first Kindergartener to hit the Lap Cap and finish the race.

After a quick photo-op with his oh-so-pretty teacher, Ms. Lyttle...

...he took off to encourage his best pal, Andrew finish his last couple of laps.

And for those of you who need it, here's your proof.  35 laps, run hard and fast.  Pay up!