JFK Fun Run

On Friday the kids had their big school fundraiser called the JFK Fun Run.  This seemed very similar to all of their past "movathons" at their previous schools.  They were sent home weeks in advance with a pledge card and were asked to find friends, family, neighbors to pledge a certain amount per lap or a donate a flat fee.  Thankfully both sets of grandparents contributed to both kids a flat fee.  Then Marty decided to be both generous and motivating by pledging €10 per lap per kid!  Hey, we figure we are saving money every single day but not sending either child to a private school.  And we knew if the kids knew it would cost us €10 per lap it would motivate them.

I finally find something that I can volunteer for so I sign up to help with the entire day.  After school drop off in the morning I head back to the field.  There is something so different about being on a campus with middle and high school students.  Everything is bigger and more of a production.  There are over 1,700 students between grades K-12.  Roughly half are in the primary school.

I run into a few cool, swimming moms.  It is fun to start knowing a few people when I'm at school.  It was one of the strangest things for me here- to show up at a school event and quite literally know and be known by not one person.  It was cool in the beginning as I've don't remember a time where I didn't know another soul but it was starting to get old as I'm, by nature, a very social person.  Thankfully, I'm starting to meet very cool parents and friends.

I head over to my assigned table and meet two very cool women that I'd spend most of the morning with.  We tallied runs on the runners arms and checked off their laps on their pledge sheet.  We laughed and talked and had a great morning. The sun was even out and it was such a beautiful day.

Our new fun friends.  Yay!

After a couple of hours Benjamin's class shows up to run.  They are all warming up and stretching before their big run.  Each grade gets 30 minutes to run as many laps as possible.  Benjamin ended with 9 laps (2 miles and a quarter)  and each time he passed Marty and I he would shout "that's €40 dad! that's €60 dad! that's €90 DAD!!"  Marty was right.  By him thinking he was punishing us, he was motivated to run more.  Way to go, Benjamin!!

I moved from my fun moms table over to a different table to help with Josie's class.  I was happily surprised to find more fun parents at that table too!! Josie came out with her class and all of her gaggle of friends.

She was raring to go and was equally as motivated by knowing Marty pledged €10 per lap.  Plus, she found out her brother just ran 9.  She was not going to be outdone.  She also finished off the run with 9 strong laps. 

We are nearly the same height! Ack!

In the end the kids ran their hearts (and legs) out.  They both ran over 2 miles in 30 minutes and collectively raised €240 for their new school.