A devastating fire demolished one of my classmates’ homes this past February, leaving her family basically left with only the clothes on their backs. This tragedy really struck me and I felt a strong need to help. I suggested a run to raise funds to my Program Advisors. We shared the idea with our Fuel Up to Play 60 team and after lots of brainstorming by the group, the “Taco Trot” planning began!
We started looking for local businesses to help sponsor our event to assist with keeping the expenses down for the color, food, water, shirts, etc. Not only did the sponsors offer money, but many of them generously offered their time and talents to help as well. This fire had touched our entire small community so people were eager to help in any way possible.
Our Taco Trot was held on a chilly Friday evening, but thankfully that didn’t seem to scare anyone away. While runners registered, our High School band performed and entertained everyone. When everyone was gathered at the starting line, our classmate which the benefit was for, spoke of how grateful her family was for everyone’s support and expressed how this event will help them.
Then the 2 mile run began! We had approximately 200 participants of all ages. There were four color stations along the way where the runners would get squirted with a variety of colors. We also had water stations set up along the way.
At the finish line we had a spread of healthy food set up for everyone to enjoy. Runners enjoyed delicious build-your-own tacos, with a wide variety of fresh fruits and raw vegetables, etc.
This run accomplished so many things! Not only did we raise over $1,100 (designated to help our classmate with her athletic expenses so she can stay active), but we got people in both our school district and our community moving and eating healthy while also spreading the word about our awesome Fuel Up to Play 60 program!
Courtney
Summit Ambassador
Wisconsin
10th Grade
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