Fouse Elementary’s PTO raised about $23,000 through their dance-a-thon fundraiser on Thursday, where families, businesses and donors contributed money so students could dance during recess at school.
More donations are still to be counted but their efforts closely track last year’s totals of more than $26,000.
“It’s having dialed-in parents that really want to support the school and really establish a love of learning,” Fouse PTO Event Chair Lindsay Muller said.
The PTO has typically hosted a walk-a-thon for their yearly fundraiser but adapted plans last year because of the pandemic and the number of volunteers needed to support the event.
As part of the four-week fundraiser, the group set a goal of $20,000 and provided an online platform for people to donate. They reached out to businesses for support and presented to students in each classroom, alerting them to the fundraiser and prizes they could receive for participation and hitting different levels of goals. For instance, for every $100 a student raises, they will be entered into a raffle for a Chromebook or AirPods.
The group reached their goal before the dance-a-thon on Thursday.
PTO President Tanya Leuthold-Hewitt attributes the fundraiser’s success to the excitement of bringing students together.
“It’s been uplifting for them to be able to get back together and be kids,” she said. “It’s a very exciting time for them.
The school celebrated the dance-a-thon throughout the day, where students spilled into the playground during recess. They were greeted with a DJ and an instructor led them through the moves of the Cupid Shuffle and other line dances. They competed in a dance-off, clapped along to Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling” and munched on popsicles before heading back inside.
Students, teachers and staff wore Fouse Dance-A-Thon shirts to commemorate the event.
The dance-a-thon serves as the PTO’s main fundraiser of the year. This year’s proceeds will support a walking path around the school, indoor recess kits for teachers, a bike rack cover and a memorial bench.