Today we have a guest post from one of our fall interns, Amy Dodge. She has been a wonderful addition to our team and has signed on to join See.Spark.Go in the spring as a part of our apprentice program. We’re thankful for her and look forward to the upcoming semester. Enjoy!

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This semester, my fellow interns and I have been blessed to work with a variety of See.Spark.Go’s amazing clients. As I learn about their core missions and values, I begin to appreciate more and more the incredible stories that these clients have to tell.

Boosterthon Fun Run is one of those clients: a fitness, leadership and character development program that helps boost funding in schools throughout the country. It’s far from just selling wrapping paper or cookie dough—Boosterthon Fun Run helps students embrace strong character and teaches them what it means to be a leader.

Last month a local Athens school, Prince Avenue Christian School, hosted the Boosterthon Fun Run. I was excited to see with my own eyes the enthusiasm and motivation that I have learned about over the course of the semester.

When we arrived at the school, I could hear the loud music from 500 yards away but still didn’t know quite what to expect. But as we walked into the gym, I saw hundreds of kids running laps around the gym, donning their Boosterthon All-Star jerseys. The teachers checked off every lap on their jerseys as they whizzed by with smiles on their faces. The stands were full of parents and grandparents to check out the program—and there’s no doubt in my mind that they were all quite impressed.

Their children were getting exercise and raising money for their school, all while learning valuable principles about teamwork and leadership.

This year’s character theme at Boosterthon is “Epic Adventure.” EPIC is an acronym Boosterthon uses to represent four key actions: Encourage, Play, Invite and Celebrate. By teaching children to encourage their peers daily, play together outside, invite others to play and celebrate the success of friends, Boosterthon is establishing a foundation of leadership and teamwork early on.

As we left the Prince Avenue gym that day, I couldn’t help but wish my elementary school had participated in a Boosterthon Fun Run. Boosterthon is so much more than just holiday wrapping paper or double-chocolate chip cookie dough; it is a revolutionary program that is changing the lives of elementary school children in more than 1,500 schools throughout the country.

In the true fashion of a See.Spark.Go client, Boosterthon has a great story to tell. To learn more about the Boosterthon story, visit their website.

Hi everyone! Lauren Locher here – the newest member of the See.Spark.Go team! I’m excited to be updating you on the whereabouts of our team, exciting news about our clients and Athens life in general.

Since January, I have been fortunate enough to learn a little bit about each of the incredible clients we work with. I have had the opportunity to dive into their stories and find out really what makes them tick. However, I have realized that the best way to learn is to see the action live!

About a month ago I attended the Boosterthon Fun Run at New Prospect Elementary in Alpharetta, Ga. and was absolutely amazed. As my first official Boosterthon experience, I loved being able to see the unbelievable Boosterthon team interact and encourage each of the students in a special way. With awesome amounts of enthusiasm, the team teaches a 9-day fitness, leadership and character program in the schools, culminating in a fundraiser fun run to raise about 75 percent more money than traditional fundraisers. Wow!

The Boosterthon team with New Prospect students.

As I walked into the school’s fun run, I saw tons of kids with huge smiles on their faces, running around the Boosterthon Speedway, receiving high fives from friends and family members. Despite the rainy weather outside, causing a quick change of scenery (the fun runs are typically held on the school’s track and field), the Boosterthon Fun Run still went off without a hitch in the school’s gym.

Students running the Boosterthon Speedway!

I absolutely loved seeing the way that teachers were able to participate with their students, through decorating the school, engaging with the students and wearing Boosterthon attire on the day of the fun run. You can tell that the program truly allows the school to create a positive and engaging community!

Overall, my first Boosterthon experience was a huge hit and I can’t wait to attend another fun run! I’m excited to see Boosterthon [CTW]!