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Students Pay For Day To Play

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By KLINT LOWRY

Suncoast News

Published: May 7, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - Call it a hall monitor's holiday: Cypress Elementary students walked or ran around during a mostly outdoors school day to raise money for an open-air classroom.

At the back of the campus is a field suitable for numerous events. Its covered pavilion easily can accommodate 100 students. But there's no comfortable place for the youngsters to sit if teachers want to gather a group for an outdoor lesson.

"Sometimes we would like to talk to our kids, incorporate vocabulary into a unit, and we have nowhere to do that," said Linda Ferris, a physical education teacher who organized a recent fundraising walkathon.

Cypress Elementary officials plan to add a paved area equipped with steel picnic tables and a chalkboard framed with art tiles.

Estimating the cost of the paved area at $4,500 to $5,500, Ferris applied for a grant. But because of tight budgets, she and her colleagues decided not to count on getting financial help from the school.

The question was, what kind of fundraiser should they have?

"You kind of have to go with the feel of the school," Ferris said. "If you're a soccer school, you do a soccer fundraiser. The kids here absolutely love to run."

Kicking around ideas with other Special Area teachers (P.E., art and music), a walkathon or a running event was suggested. But rather than having students solicit pledges per mile or lap, the organizers kept it simple.

The students could bring any amount they collected, even a few coins, and walk or run as much as they liked.

They had the option of running laps around the playfield or walking a longer route around the perimeter of the field and part of the school. Five laps around the track or three around the other route equaled one mile. Though no one kept a tally, the students were encouraged to cover at least a mile.

"I'd say we're doing over 1,000 miles today as a school," Ferris said during Thursday's event.

While the youngsters worked their legs, lungs and hearts, music blared over a sound system; P.E. teacher Nick Poll instigated impromptu water-balloon fights; and prizes were awarded as each group of students ended their time on the field.

Meanwhile, Rita's Italian Ices sent enough sample-size cups to freeze everyone's insides.

Organizers hope to have the outdoor classroom ready for the start of the next school year, and thanks to the community's generosity, it looks as if that will happen. A single donor got things rolling with a $1,000 contribution; after a week, the school had collected more than $3,000.

Phil Wagner, owner of Little Land Creations, is contributing in a big way. His company is donating time, labor and expertise to the project.

"I'm working with my brick suppliers to see if we can't get them to donate the brick that's necessary to do it," Wagner said. "Then, myself and my staff will come in and offer our time and services to install the brick."

Wagner has two daughters who attend Cypress and he read about the project in a school newsletter. He could tell that organizers needed an expert's advice.

"I just got started in business about a year and half ago," Wagner said. "This is my first opportunity to give back to the county and the community. I'm in a position where I can do it, and I figured it would be a great thing to do."

Wagner said the bricks will be installed in such a way that they could easily be moved if necessary, yet they should last for decades.

Klint Lowry can be reached at (727) 815-1067 or klowry@suncoastnews.com.

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