Thornton Creek Fun Run Raises $28,000 for New Playground

Students at Thornton Creek Elementary School in Northville enjoyed a beautiful spring day at the outdoor Fun Run on Wednesday, all the while raising more than $28,000 for the school’s new playground.  The event was organized by A Cause For Play, a committee of 11 parent volunteers headed by principal Alison Epler.  

The group has been actively raising funds for the playground since June 2012, with more than $93,000 raised through grants, business sponsorships and in-school promotions. Their goal is to raise $100,000 for a playground large enough to accommodate 220 students at each recess and challenging enough to meet the developmental needs of all students.

The committee hired an outside firm, The Get Movin’ Crew, to plan the logistics of the Fun Run, because of its expertise in fundraising and motivational speaking, as well as its low fee per student. The Get Movin’ Crew held a pep rally at Thornton Creek on March 21 to kick off the Fun Run pledge drive, where Wendy Tunis of The Get Movin’ Crew explained to students, “The Fun Run isn’t about winning. It’s about having fun with your friends, exercising, staying healthy and building a new playground for your school!”

Each student received a pedometer and was encouraged to take at least 2,500 steps while walking, running and skipping through the Fun Run course. Parents, teachers and Movin’ Max, The Get Movin’ Crew’s cheetah mascot, cheered the students along throughout the day.

“We were so proud to work with the Thornton Creek team on their playground project. They have great students who learned to do something healthy for a great cause," Tunis said.

Students collected flat pledges and were entered into daily raffles for every $25 they raised. The class with the highest pledge amount will earn back 10 percent of their pledges for classroom supplies, and the teacher will receive a prime parking spot for the remainder of the school year. In addition, Principal Epler promised that if the school reaches its goal of $35,000 by the end of April, she will dress like a princess, sing, “Someday My Prince Will Come,” and kiss a live frog at a school assembly.

Claudia Ordonez, co-chair of A Cause For Play, summarized the day: “All year long the students have been asking the playground moms how they can help get this playground built. Today was their day to show everyone the power of community.”

For more information on the Thornton Creek playground project, e-mail acauseforplay@gmail.com or like “A Cause For Play” on Facebook.

Read More: