Madison Students Run for Money

Students at in North Redondo Beach got some good exercise and raised money at the same time Wednesday during the school's annual Jog-a-Thon.

Kindergarteners through fifth graders ran, jogged and walked laps around the grassy field at the back of the campus.

"It always gets a great turnout … It's just a really good atmosphere," said PTA President Alison Crompton.

Each student received a donation sheet where parents, family, friends and strangers could specify a flat donation amount or pledge a few dollars per lap completed. This gets students invested in the fundraiser, Crompton said.

The students seemed to have fun, too. After a fun warmup, fifth graders ran for 30 minutes, while the rest of the students circled the field for 20 minutes.

"The best part was at the end because I got to dance," said Bryce, a fifth-grade student.

Another fifth grader, Saige, said she decided how many laps she was going to run before the event.

"[Sixteen laps] was my goal," she said—and she managed to complete her goal.

Last spring, the event raised more than $15,000; however, because the event was held in the fall this year, Crompton said the PTA didn't expect to raise quite that much.

"We're going to raise as much as we can now," she said.