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May 24, 2009
Junior Optimists walk to raise money
A group of kids and parents pounded five miles of pavement during the recent Highmeadow JuniorOptimist Club Walkathon, for a good cause.The May 16 event raised more than $2,000 for the Farmington Area Goodfellows.The club has 18 members, all students at Highmeadow Common Campus in Farmington Hills, whorange in age from 5-11.The Junior Optimists is a student-led group, sanctioned by Optimist International, and supported bythe Farmington-Farmington Hills Optimist Club. At the elementary school level, Junior Optimist clubsare expected to plan and execute one community service project each year.The walkathon was the first project for the newly formed Highmeadow Optimist Club. In all, 37children, and 31 parents walked the 5-mile route. Children from Highmeadow Common Campus,Wooddale Elementary School, St. Fabian School, and Dunckel and East middle schools participatedin the walk.The Farmington-Farmington Hills Optimist Club staffed “snack stations” every half mile along theroute. The kids went through over 150 bottles of water, 100 fruit snacks, 50 bags of chips, and 60granola bars.“This may be the first walkathon ever in which participants gained weight during the walk,” jokedRichard Lerner, one of the parent leaders for the club. “But, it helped the kids keep their energy levelsup, and every one of them finished the 5 mile walk. They were amazing!”Ann Amshay, another parent leader for the group said, “I'm so proud if these kids. They planned thisentire event. They recruited their friends, they chose the charity to support, and they raised a lot ofmoney for a really good cause. They're very excited to know they are helping children their own age.”The kids gained a lot from the experience.Here's what they had to say:
“I like that we helped support people in need,” said Erin Abramczyk (third grade, co-vice president)
“I liked the snacks and the medal, and raising money for a good cause,” said Meredith Abramczyk(first grade).
“A small group of people coming together can make a big difference,” said Abhinav Reddy(kindergarten).
“I learned that I can accomplish anything with the support of friends and family,” said AndrewPlumaj (third grade).
“My favorite part was working as a team and working towards a good cause,” said Nithya Jaisankar(first grade).
“I wanted to do something good. I wanted to make a difference,” said Nadia Morman-Williams(kindergarten).
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