RUN TO READ AND WRITE FUN RUN: PART 2 KidsRunning.Com Classroom Event by Carol Goodrow Family Fun Run The Start Photos by Leon's Dad, Joey's Dad, Eric G.'s Mom, and Carol Goodrow Art and Writing by the kids after running a mile at the fun run. DEMOGRAPHICS: The start of our family fun run shows 'family'. Each year more and more parents and siblings (both younger and older) are joining us for the mile. This year our principal also ran! Our fun run is not a publicized event. My students are invited along with their families. Then it's up to my past students to contact me and ask when the fun run is. We always have some faithful 'alumni' who attend and they often find a way to do something to help with the preparation for the run. They always offer to bring food, healthy food that is. It's the only kind we serve at our fun run. Encouraging the whole family to participate is a feature of our running program. We want to keep family members active. We try to keep this small event free of cost for all runners. This year, thanks to our sponsors, it was. Participation in all types of physical activity declines strikingly as age or grade in school increases. (CDC) PREPARATION Sarah, from my class of 2000, designed the border for our fun run bib number. I copied the design and my schoolchildren added the finishing touches. (You can see Sarah in the top photo on this page. I painted a little red heart necklace on her in the so that you could find her.) THE PREPARATION: There's a ton of stuff to do to get ready for the fun run. Here's ten of the things I did this year (all fun, of course): 1. Contacted the town manager to reserve a date at the local park. 2. Sent a notice home to parents telling about the fun run and asking them to mark their calendars. 3. Designed the T-shirt. 4. Wrote to a few places to ask for sponsorship and sent a notice home to my parents mentioning the need for funding. I asked if they would be willing to share the cost of the event if we did not find sponsorship. Most returned notes saying that they would. I also hoped that people who knew that I was having my classroom fun run would come forward and just offer to help on their own and some did! 5. Asked a parent to find a place to get T-shirts printed, to drop off the design, and to bag the tees for the fun run. 6. Sent another notice home to parents letting them know what kind of food to bring to the fun run and asking them to let me know who would be attending from their families. I ran with my sister. (From the Artists' Table) 7. Invited our school principal to run with us. 8. Had my kids vote on if they wanted to receive books or workbooks at the finish line. They voted for workbooks. We found sponsorship to buy each of my students a "Clues for Meaning" workbook at their individual level to use over the summer. 9. Prepared the writing and drawing forms for the kids to use at the fun run. 10. Trained with my kids for the fun run by gradually increasing mileage, practicing 'pacing', and continually explaining to the kids the difference between a fun run and a race. The Fun Run Artists' table. A new government report-7 in 10 adults don't regularly exercise and nearly 4 in 10 aren't physically active at all. (AP-Erin McClain, Sunday April 7, 2002) Part 1: Run to Read and Write | Part 3: Running Programs, We're all winners! THANKS TO OUR FUN RUN SPONSORS: The Hartford Courant | Reebok | RUNNER'S WORLD | USATF | The Vernon Collision Center, Vernon, CT Thanks to Sarah from my class of 2000 for the running number design and thanks to Bryan Hoddle of hoddlespeak.homestead.com for the fitness quotes and statistics.