2023-05-25 22:06:33
Running for a good cause: around 150 elementary school students from the Frstabt-Gerbert School do their laps across the cathedral square and through the spa gardens in a charity run. Proceeds go to the Fatima Center in the Philippines.
Getting involved for a good cause has a long tradition for elementary school students. Initially, money was collected for various social institutions with shoe-shining campaigns, street theater and bake sales. The Fatima Center in the Philippines has now been supported for around 20 years. Orphaned, abandoned or abused children live here and receive school and vocational training.
Since then there has been a sponsored run every two years. And it works like this: In advance, the students look for sponsors who donate a self-determined amount for each lap completed. Then the task is to run as many laps as possible in a set time – ten minutes for first and second graders, 15 minutes for third and fourth graders. So that this can be proven, there is a stamp on the arm for each round.
On Wednesday, the first thing to do was warm up to music before heading out onto the track. The start was at the pavilion in the spa park, the course with a length of 400 meters led across the cathedral square, where it was necessary to walk around the fountain and from there through the spa garden back to the starting point. Some former teachers were also part of the party, they worked as marshals. Georg Kaiser had taken over the announcement. “Let’s start slowly, ten minutes is a long time,” he said to the students, who were crowded at the start and could hardly wait for the command. The runners were cheered on loudly by their classmates, but also by teachers, parents and passers-by. Kaiser also kept cheering on the runners and reminded the students with a wink not to forget the important stamp in the heat of the moment. Because: “Every stamp brings something for the Fatima Center, the sponsors should go broke”.
In the end, Lias, Luka, Adel and Luca (all seven years old) managed between four and six laps. And everyone thinks it’s great that they can get involved in this way for a good cause. “I would like to run again,” said Luka. Headmistress Susanne Schwer also ran along. She wasn’t quite able to keep up with the front runners, who had completed eleven and twelve laps, but she could still show eight stamps.
The total number of laps run is not determined. In the coming days, the students will start collecting the sponsorship money. There will certainly come together a proud amount.
#sports #donations #solidarity #Blasien