Running for T-shirts

Running for T-shirts

Wednesday 28th of March 2007 10:33:31 PM

Running for T-shirts

Each year for the past twelve years, Jeff Miller, an elementary school teacher at Forest Oak Elementary School, located in Delaware, USA, has run around the school thirty times or the equivalent of twelve miles in order to teach the children the meaning of referendum and also about physical fitness. “The principal at the time here [William 'Buzzy' Cooke Jr.] asked each grade level to plan some activity to get parents out for the vote. I said, 'All right, what I'll do is, I'm going to help teach the kids the idea of what a referendum is.' I said I'd run around the school and get pledges from the kids per lap that I would run,” said Miller.

Students who contribute five US dollars are able to run around the school one time with Miller. Other students are encouraged to collect pledge money in order to support the run. All proceeds, which are usually around seven hundred US dollars are used to host a field day where children participate in different sports activities. All children receive T-Shirts for their efforts.

Teaching the children about physical fitness became a secondary outcome for the run, which has made Miller happy. “[The runaround] is also to try to get kids motivated into being active to run. The greatest thing for the kids [who run] is that the little ones -- kindergartners, first-graders, second-graders -- see the older kids running and think they're track stars. ... It makes the kids feel really good,” said Miller. Miller has run in three marathons and has more than ten T-Shirts commemorating different running events.

Giving the children T-Shirts for their efforts helps them recognise the importance of being part of a community and staying physically fit throughout their lives. The T-Shirts, Miller said, are “a badge of honour that these kids earned. Every day at school throughout the year, somebody's got one of those shirts on.”

(c)Jimena Allasia, www.sxc.hu

Top School Products

Stedman Children's Budget T-shirt
Single Unit: £1.09
High Volume: £0.68
» More Information

Fruit of the Loom Children's T-shirt
Single Unit: £1.71
High Volume: £0.99
» More Information

Gildan Children's Premium T-shirt
Single Unit: £1.58
High Volume: £0.99
» More Information