PTO ‘Fun Run’ Combines Fitness with Fundraising

Members of the Oakwood/River Valley PTO are busy planning for their biggest fundraiser of the year – the Fun Run, which will take place Friday, Sept. 21 in the school gyms.

The walk-a-thon/run-a-thon is a kid-friendly event that promotes positive character, healthy habits and fun, while supporting Oakwood and River Valley elementary schools. All students will participate in the Fun Run, regardless of whether they choose to collect pledges.

The PTO has set a fund-raising goal of $25,000 for this year’s Fun Run.

Students and teachers are encouraged to reach out to family, friends, employers and neighbors for pledges to support the effort, which will raise funds to help the PTO purchase electronic whiteboards and new playground equipment for Oakwood, and responders and document cameras related (related to electronic whiteboards) for River Valley.

For more information on the Fun Run, check out PDFs of the informational flier and pledge form at the top of this story or visit Lemont PTO’s virtual backpack at http://www.lemontpto.org/ and click on “Fun Run.”

How the community can help

The PTO is seeking donations from the community, of either cash or prizes, as incentives to students, classrooms and teachers who collect pledges for the Fun Run.

The organization is hoping to offer prizes in the $250 range, such as Wii or X-box gaming systems,  e-readers or bicycles, for students in each school who raise the most money. Donations for prizes for the classroom that brings in the most pledges are also being sought – and the PTO hopes to offer an iPad to the teacher in each school who solicits the most pledges.

The PTO also wants to give all students and teachers who participate in the Fun Run a water bottle or canteen to quench their thirst the day of the event, and to take home as a souvenir. The group is hoping a business or individual in the community will step up to underwrite the cost of the items. A local bank has already agreed to donate $200 toward the goal, PTO officials said.

For more information on the Fun Run or to make a donation for prizes, contact one of the PTO event’s co-chairs: Jane Vitro, 708-977-8347 or jvitro@acxiom.com; Julie Kearns, 630-326-2252 or juliek31@comcast.net; or Sylvia Deal, 773-315-6469 or deal1247@comcast.net.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

There are plenty of ways to keep up on  news:

• Sign up for our daily email newsletter

• Like us on Facebook for a slightly different take.