Students catapult, kick, jog and stretch at Sport-A-Thon

On a clear day in late September, Lacamas Heights Elementary School students, teachers and parents took action to gather funds and improve students’ awareness about their health.

Lacamas students participated in a school-wide Sport-A-Thon held at the Camas High School track, where they participated in activities to promote muscular strength and endurance, cardiovascular endurance, and flexibility.

The Sport-A-Thon, a partnership between the school and parents, was held during the school day as part of the students’ physical education program.

Students were given time to visit four stations, which were designed to promote educational goals. They included catapult competitions, soccer goal kicks, tug-of-war, jogging and yoga stretching. Parent volunteers from the Parents Association of Lacamas Students manned the stations.

Prior to the event, parents and family members pledged support for the students in their Sport-A-Thon effort with the proceeds going to P.A.L.S. Each year, this funding is used to supplement supplies and equipment for the teachers and staff, provide experiences for students to enhance their schooling, and provide low or no-cost events and activities for Lacamas families.

Competitions between classes at each grade level and award incentives in the pledge drive helped the students raise approximately $7,500. Incentives helped to make the fund-raising event a success and got everyone involved, according to P.A.L.S president Amy Hansen.

“It was one of the most fun events I’ve been to,” she said. “It’s different than a typical field day.”

Three students received Big Al’s gift certificates for raising the most funds. All students who raised at least $25 were entered into a drawing to win one of three local restaurant gift certificates made possible by donations from Angelo’s Pizza and Around the Table. In each grade, the class with the highest pledge level also was able to participate in a pizza lunch with their teacher. Sarah Reiter’s morning kindergarten class raised the most donations of any single class in the school.

The biggest incentive of all, according to Hansen, was a long-standing Lacamas tradition: The Human Car Wash. All students who raised $75 or more in donations were eligible to bring a bucket to the Human Car Wash held on Oct. 1.

Riding special needs bicycles, teachers made several passes in front of the students who lined up in front of Lacamas and threw buckets of cold water on the riders to “wash” the human cars as they passed.

“It was a very festive and wet way to end the Sport-A-Thon challenge,” Hansen said.