Ridgefield Academy to Host Annual 'Run4RA' Fitness Event

From Ridgefield Academy:

On Friday, May 20, Ridgefield Academy will host its annual all-school fitness event, Run4RA. Grades kindergarten through eigth, along with faculty and staff, will run or walk for age-appropriate lengths of time raising funds for teacher development in the process. In addition to the fitness and local community-building keystones this event has been built on, this year, Run4RA will incorporate a service element that ties in with the school’s dedication to community, locally and globally. By donating gently used sneakers, participants will also take part in an initiative started by The More Foundation, an organization dedicated to positively impacting the environment, as well as our neighbors in African communities. The academy is working closely with The Ridgefield Running Company on the donation of running shoes.

“To me, Run4RA is maybe the most special event of the school year,” said Beth MacInnes, Ridgefield Academy’s athletic director. “It brings together fitness and fun in such a meaningful way. The whole school community comes together to celebrate our school, our friends and our teachers as we all walk or run together. This year, we are trying to reach a lofty goal of 7,000 total minutes of sustained running or walking and significant donations that will go towards our Teacher Enrichment Fund and Summer Grants.”

Students are encouraged to enlist the commitment of donors, who pledge a dollar amount per minutes walked. Each grade contributes a portion of the 7,000-minute goal. For example, multiple second-grade students will run for 20 minutes; students in grades 3-5 will run for 25 minutes and students in grades 6-8 will run for 30 minutes.

Last year, $17,000 was raised and applied to teacher enrichment grants that benefitted the school community. Annually, grants support teacher passions and interests through programs that support travel, training and skill-building; support for teachers has included everything from adopting and training a service animal to traveling to isolated locations to study writing. This year’s grant recipient will travel to Australia to compare and contrast its national curriculum with that of Ridgefield Academy. She will also study the differences between how STEM is incorporated, and examine the effects of climate change on Australia’s coastal environment. Teachers learn a great deal from Ridgefield Academy’s supported enrichment experiences, and share that knowledge with their colleagues. Teachers express a refueled passion for teaching, and inspire engaging lessons that benefit the Ridgefield Academy students and community.

Dedication to community is a focus at Ridgefield Academy, which is why Service Learning Director Kate Howell says the Run4RA event was such a perfect opportunity to work with Ridgefield Running Company and The More Foundation this year.

“Run4RA has traditionally been a community building event,” said Howell, “and service to others is an essential part of our school's mission. We conduct various clothing and food drives throughout the year, and Run4RA seemed like a great opportunity to extend the benefits of this school event beyond the RA campus and incorporate an element of awareness and service for our students… In the weeks leading up to Run4RA, students will engage in conversations and activities to raise interest and enthusiasm not only about physical fitness, but also how their sneaker donations will impact the lives of others through the work of The More Foundation.”

Visitors to The More Foundation’s website would be impressed by just how impactful their donations will be. By donating sneakers to the organization, countless pairs are kept out of environmentally unsound landfills, and the organization receives the support it needs to aid rural communities in Africa. They dig wells, supply water pumps, plant trees and educate families about composting, seed germination and propagation, bio-char production and sustainable agroforestry techniques.

The idea to work with Ridgefield Running Company on donations to The More Foundation first came from Wendy Wo Beurket, president of the Ridgefield Academy’s Parent Association (RAPA) and an active member of RACares, a parent-guided organization that supports the school and local community.

Run4RA will serve a variety of purposes, from promoting fitness to supporting the environment. It also has a positive effect on the students, who enjoy the experience just for the fun of it.

“Students get excited about the event, especially the raffle prizes and the misting tent on the course,” said MacInnes. “They love getting the chance to run with their buddies, laugh along the way with teachers and dance to the music. It's also a great feeling of accomplishment for them when they hear the finishing horn!”