I hate it mainly for its misguided promotion. The Jog-a-Thon is a PTO Fundraiser, “one in which every student participates.” As a fundraiser, it is designed specifically, and solely, to raise money for the PTO. I question why every student is required to participate in an event that raises money for the PTO. They are not raising money directly for the school. Students – and parents – do not have a choice in whether they choose to participate in the events of this fundraiser, despite the fact that they might never actually bring any money to the table for said fundraiser. In our very own “Connection,” the PTO newsletter, it is stated that “Fundraisers are not mandatory,” yet every student at Burgess Elementary School runs (or hops in the Pre-School) during their regularly scheduled gym class. This event is not held after school or on a weekend where it would be considered strictly voluntary. No, it is held during the school day, as a part of the athletic curriculum.
I have a problem with
that.
Following all the
running, there is lap counting, leader board writing, money collecting, and
finally, the pinnacle of the event for the students: the medal ceremony. Students in each grade who ran the most laps
in the top three spots receive medals.
Although all students who participate in the event receive a gift, and
all students who raise a minimum amount of funding receive a second gift, the
medals are the pride, joy - and let-down - for most students. The medals have, for many, become the focus
of the event. Each spring, children all
over Sturbridge can be heard saying, “I’m going to get a medal this year!” as
their determined hearts put their sights on an unknown number of laps that will
guarantee that end. I have never heard
one student, or parent for that matter, say, “I’m going to raise the most money
this year!”
It is obvious why we do
no put the emphasis on the money itself as an individual goal: not everyone has access to the money that someone
else has. Many parents struggle with meeting
the basic needs of their families, while others are able to relatively easily
live in a lap of luxury. It would seem
cruel to always put money as the defining characteristic for any student when
it comes to being recognized by their peers, the faculty, or a parent
organization.
Why then, is it OK to put the under-achieving,
not-athletically-gifted students at the forefront of a “PTO Fundraiser?” Whether or not they want to, every student is
required to run laps. No one has
volunteered their athletic ability, or their glorious aspirations for the
day. The only volunteers are the parents
who come out to punch cards and count laps. Yet, each student will be judged on
the number of laps that they complete, and awarded an additional prize, to hang
proudly, and boastfully around their necks.
(It shouldn’t matter, but I feel compelled to
assuage the assumptions that I, or my children, suffer from sour grapes. To the contrary, all three of my children
have loved participating in the Jog-a-Thon.
Two out of three of them have earned a medal, repeatedly, in their time at
Burgess. They return each year to best themselves, in addition to achieving
school-wide glory. There are no sour
grapes. Their achievements are just as
revered each year there is not a medal.)
So how can I possibly love the Jog-a-Thon? Because it also brings out the best in so
many students. The returning joggers’
determination to place each year softens my contempt. The will to shine, to achieve, and be
distinguished from those who did not achieve, spurs on “training,” focus, camaraderie,
and competition. My own children’s indomitable spirit makes
attending the event and cheering them on my
focus. I revel in their unwavering
pursuit of every lap. I am fulfilled by
their untiring participation and untarnished belief in this event. They motivate
me to believe and be supportive.
I am not so motivated as to want to change the event
to better serve my sense of fundraising or athleticism. But, were
the Jog-a-Thon to be revamped into a strictly volunteer event, held outside of
school hours, with the full knowledge and expectation that the number of laps
would correspond to the amount of money raised or donated, I would fully
support it. If elected participation
included medals for high achievers, like so many charity road races do, again,
I could “support” it, as all participants are entering of their own volition to
sponsor a cause and triumph
personally. If the medals were removed from
the current Jog-a-Thon handbook, I would be more inclined to support it. But as the Jog-a-Thon is currently billed and
executed, it is a flawed system that will continue to confound me.