BCES Students Boost Character and School Coffers

For students from , participation in Boosterthon didn’t just help build character. It also raised funds for the school and helped build playgrounds for underprivileged schools in Guatemala.

Feb. 3 kicked off the Loganville elementary school’s participation in the nine-day fitness and leadership program that is designed to inspire students to live character-filled lives. In the process, they were able to raise $16,000 – some for BCES and the balance for schools in Guatemala.

The program encouraged the children to work together in teams in a series of laps on the school playground. They had gathered pledges in advance for each lap they ran. During the course of the activities, fitness rewards were given – raising the students to a level whereby they were raising money for the underprivileged children as well as BCES.

“They learn the importance of leading healthy lives, at the same time building character,” said Matt Peele, organizer of the Boosterthon track and BCES event.

Boosterthon’s theme this year is Epic Adventure. As they did this month at BCES, during 2012 about 430,000 students will learn to work together in teams through the adventure actions of Encourage, Play, Invite and Celebrate.

“Every day, our team members see students across the country get excited about character and leadership,” said Chris Carneal, Boosterthon founder and president. “Schools exceed their financial goals and we challenge students to live out the daily character action in school and at home.”

The faces of the students from BCES was evidence of their enthusiasm for the program. Founded in 2001, Boosterthon is structured to be a fun interactive program geared toward health living and the development of young leaders. As well as athletic participation through the fun run, students were also exposed to live character presentations, a children’s book, upbeat music and a read-along mini-movie. Carneal said they wanted Epic Adventure to be more than just motivational posters on a wall.

“We know that by investing in students, everyone wins,” Carneal said. “We worked hard to bring our theme to life on different platforms to create an unforgettable experience for students.”