Communities are some of the tightest groups of people. They rally around each other to help one another when it is necessary. One topic communities rally around are the schools. They will support the schools no matter what, to give their kids the education they need. One way communities help the schools is through fundraisers, which help get schools the necessary tools to educate in the classrooms.
Washington Elementary School in Whitewater is one of those schools that puts on fundraisers to support children’s education. They host fundraisers to raise money for school supplies, field trips, school events and more that involve the kids.
One of the biggest fundraising events the school puts on is their “Walk 4 Washington” event. Created 14 years ago by Washington’s Parent and Teacher Together group (PATT), “Walk 4 Washington” encourages students to go out into the community and ask for donations to get school supplies for their classrooms.
“School fundraisers happen quite a bit, and we have one that this parent and teacher organization puts together that has all money raised for a kind of a fit event, which goes right back into the classroom,” said Washington Elementary School Principal Tom Grosinske. “Whatever money is raised gets divvied up amongst all the grade levels and all the departments, and it goes right back into how those educators want to use that money. It’s one of those things that’s pretty easy to get excited for because, of course, it goes right back to support the kids, which is awesome.”
The school’s goal is to raise $4,000 every year, which is what the “4” in “Walk 4 Washington” stands for. This year, they raised $6,254.75, with the top fundraiser raising over $1,000. This brings their total amount raised over the past 14 years to over $74,000.
“Last year, I just tried to get as much as I could,” said fourth grader Tanner Marshall, who raised over $1,000. “I ended up with about $700 and I wanted to beat that. I just decided that I wanted to meet a goal of $1,000, and then I got that.”
There are many incentives that get the kids excited about this fundraiser. The biggest one is being able to obtain new school supplies for their classrooms. Another incentive is a Culver’s lunch with the principal for the top 10 fundraisers.
“I’m a pretty lucky guy,” said Grosinske. “Each fall we have a big Culver’s lunch together and we get to hang out together and have fun. I’m probably the luckiest one of the bats that gets to hang out with those 10 awesome kiddos and have fun during lunch hour, talk and just enjoy each other’s company.”
One incentive kids also look forward to is the race between the top fundraisers of each class and local business mascots. This year, six mascots raced against the kids. These mascots included Whitewater High School’s Willy Whippet, Scoopie from Culver’s, Divot the golf ball from Willow Brook Golf Course, Cash and Spot from some of the credit unions and every kid’s favorite, Liberty the Eagle from Washington Elementary School.
“Walk 4 Washington” is just one of the many fundraisers that Washington Elementary School puts on. Every March, Washington has a popcorn and pizza fundraiser where the kids raise money for field trips and other special activities. This one, according to Grosinske, is another big fundraiser.
Washington Elementary’s dedication to its students goes beyond the classroom. With events like “Walk 4 Washington,” they show the strong bond between the school and the community. With a community that continues to show up year after year, Washington Elementary can continue to supply the resources that its students need.
