Gardendale Elementary School PTA knows the energy that is bottled up in our kiddos all winter long, so it is with great excitement that the PTA announces, “It’s ROCKET RUN time!”
Rocket Run is the spring fundraiser, a school fun run, hosted by GES PTA for the elementary school. The concept is simple. Students collect donations of all amounts from family and friends as support for them running. The kids are excited because they get to run on the BIG track, weather permitting, at the high school and earn prizes based on the amount of money they turn in, and every student with at least a dollar in donations gets a prize.
The GES PTA, faculty, staff, and parents are excited because all of the money raised stays at Gardendale Elementary and benefits every student at the school. In the past this fundraiser has generated over 20k for the school and each year seems to show that the hearts that love Gardendale Elementary and its big and little people are growing more and more generous.
Much like the GES PTA annual carnival event in the fall, community support makes the Rocket Run possible. Local businesses donate to the PTA to help cover operational costs and prizes. They also graciously give coupons for free or discounted meals or send employees out the day of the run to help pass out water to, and cheer for, the children sweating it out on the track.
This year Buffalo Wild Wings is offering a new way to support. On Monday March 14th, for every patron who dines with the restaurant and mentions they are there for GES, the restaurant will make a donation to the rocket run.
Rocket Run is March 18th. On that day there will be a buzz coming from the elementary school. Teachers and students will head over to the high school track to release all the pint up winter energy. Principal Rogers and Vice Principal Taylor make surprise appearances to challenge the students to see they can outrun the students. The students love showing them that they can run faster!
There will even be a great DJ, Thomas Nails, who will have the music pumping and heads bobbing. PTA will have bubbles and water squirters to ensure that the smiles last from beginning to end.
Roz Jackson, President of GES PTA, says “It really is a sight to behold as students link arms, hold hands, skip, jump, and all but cartwheel around knowing that popsicles at the end do not go to the swiftest but to the entire class when they finish together!”
The GES PTA loves that this is another way that Rocket love is shown and spread through our sweet little community.
Tara Salters is a contributing writer to The Gardendale News.
