The fundraiser consisted of some somewhat heavy pressure sales in that the kids were rewarded each morning *IF* they had been able to get a donation the night before and some kids were really disappointed when they didn't get to participate in the rewards. The rewards weren't really much, just stuff like throw water balloons at fun run staff or wear pj's to school, but for some kids it was enough to make them really feel left out. I get that the incentives were a way to put pressure on the kids and the kids' families but when you don't have the money for groceries every week there certainly isn't cash lying around for fundraisers. All donations had to be made online as well so even bringing change or the spare dollar wasn't an option, which was also kind of crappy. People could choose to make a flat donation or they could opt to give a set denomination per lap run with a max of 35 laps.
Aside from the negatives, there were some positives, of course. First of all, the fun run staff put on a really fun pep rally for the kids to kick off the event. The kids all came home really excited about the upcoming run and it was a great way to introduce the event. And, although I didn't particularly like their money earning tactics, it did prove successful because our school was able to raise the $25,000 goal. And, finally, the fun run itself was an event that ALL the kids really seemed to enjoy.
The run itself was set up by the fun run staff. They had a big blow up archway for the kids to come through and the two running courses were outlined with small safety cones. There was a water station manned by parent volunteers and a DJ playing music the entire time. It really was an exciting and fun event! The kids weren't expected to run the entire time and every once in awhile the DJ would suggest they walk or dance a lap instead. Harper and Dakota both exceeded the 35 lap mark and both were very proud of themselves for doing so. (Harper was POSITIVE he'd never be able to do it and was pretty thrilled that he'd been wrong.) I volunteered to help out and ended up being one of the people who marked the kids laps as they ran around. (They had a paper stuck to their shirt with squares labeled 1-35 and each time they made it to the finish line they received a mark on their paper.)
The run was split into two halves. K-2nd grade ran first beginning at 9:15 and 3-5 ran beginning at 10:15 which meant that I ended up staying the whole time to watch Dakota and then Harper run. It was pretty cold out that morning but after running a lap or two coats were being shed all over the place!
It was a challenge marking the kids' shirts as they ran by and even more challenging when the 3rd through 5th grades ran because they were a bit more competitive. The older kids were a little more devious too because we heard a few of them talking about cheating and getting several volunteers to mark their paper before going around again! There were so many kids though that it was just impossible to keep track and we just did the best we could.
So, my final review of this fundraiser would be a 4 out of 10. It did raise a lot of money but I really don't like that less fortunate families or those who didn't want to keep asking for donations were somewhat punished. I think class rewards (for most money earned per day) are OK as they don't single anyone out but other than that the kids should be able to participate in all activities.
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