Beth Learn
For ClarkCountyToday.com
BATTLE GROUND — Sending 6th graders to outdoor school when neither the school district nor the state provides funding means that parents must find the means to pay their own children’s way. This equates to fundraising and event planning, and several moms of students in the Battle Ground School District have stepped up to this daunting task.
Noelle Cresap is the mother of a fifth grade girl at Daybreak Middle School who is excited to go to outdoor school next year. Cresap saw that, while student fees would pay a small part of outdoor school expenses, they wouldn’t come close to covering the total of $15,000 needed to send hundreds of 6th graders for a full week.
So, along with Charlene Navarro, Tina King, and Heather Marini, Cresap launched the Daybreak Dragons Booster Club, which has already spearheaded a successful Parents Night Out, and is now approaching its biggest one fundraiser: The Dragon 5K Fun Run/Walk.
“Someone had to do it!” Cresap said, as she was putting finishing touches on the event T-shirts that race participants will pick up along with their race packets in front of the Daybreak School Library from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, April 27th..
The Dragon Run/Walk will start at the baseball field at Lewisville Park on Sun., April 30 at 9 a.m. A festival will take place directly after the race, and participants are invited to linger for games, entertainment and a barbecue lunch for just $3 per person.
“We would love people to hang out and grow relationships and our community by supporting our kids,” Cresap said.
Battle Ground Chiropractic, Northwood, Mill Creek Pub, Rocky’s Pizza, Ink Ability, and Fit2B online fitness are all locally owned businesses that are sponsoring this run.
Despite all the support they’re receiving, some parents in the district who have older children who didn’t get to go to outdoor school expressed concern that Daybreak Dragon Booster Club won’t be able to generate interest in their events because they only benefit one grade level.
Cresap responded, “It’s about coming together as a whole school and supporting each other. I think any age child would appreciate having fun activities to do with their friends and in turn supporting younger students. Hopefully with parent support this can happen.”
Click here to register online for the race and learn more about this fun run/walk event that supports Daybreak 6th graders. Since it’s so close to race time, the fee no longer includes a T-shirt. However, that just means that all of your registration goes to help kids make it to outdoor school in 2018.
Beth Learn is a freelance writer and Battle Ground resident. She is the founder of the website www.fit2b.us.
