Waiver: You must have completed the PTA waiver to participate in PTA-sponsored events. Please complete the waiver for your whole family if you have not already done so.

Almond Walk-A-Thon Information and Frequently Asked Questions

 

What is the Walk-a-thon?

The Walk-a-thon (formerly Walk-a-bout) is an Almond School Tradition! Students, Teachers, and families come out for a fun-filled morning of running/walking/jogging/skipping laps around the course with friends or family members collecting punches for each lap completed! The 2024 Walk-a-thon will be held on Saturday October 5th on the school blacktop. We have a live DJ playing upbeat music and giving away raffle prizes throughout the event. Students will collect small prizes for completing milestones of laps. Students help raise money for the school by collecting sponsorships before or after the event. It’s the most fun family event of the year that you won’t want to miss! Here is some helpful information and answers to frequently asked questions!

 

Schedule

What to Bring

Sponsor Your Child

Check-In

Laps

Raffle Prizes & Contests

Tickets

Food and Drinks

Rules and Safety

Returning Lap Cards

Walk-a-thon T-shirts

Silent Auction and Hosted Parties

Business Sponsorships

Volunteers!

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Schedule:

8:30 am - Registration opens, coffee and baked goods are available for purchase

9:00 am - Opening Ceremony and Pledge of Allegiance

9:10 am - Starting Bell Rings and Mrs Matteroli kicks off the walk-a-thon!

10:00 am - Games open

11:30 am - Lunch items available for purchase (until 1:00 pm)

1:00 pm - End of Walk-a-thon 

1:30 pm - Registration Table closes - turn in your lap card on your way out so we can tally laps!

 

What to Bring:

Wear your Walk-a-thon T-shirt to show your school pride!

Wear comfortable clothes.

Wear comfortable shoes to run/walk/jog/skip in!

Apply sunscreen before and during the event and wear a hat as we will be outside on the blacktop. 

Bring a water bottle with your child’s name labeled. We will have a water bottle station for runners to keep their bottles on hand.

Consider bringing a bag to hold the lap prizes your participant earns throughout the event!

We encourage families to set up a “home base” around the course with picnic blankets, chairs and shade so your child(ren) can have a place to rest and know where to find you throughout the day!

 

Sponsor Your Child:

While participating in the walk-a-thon is free, we hope you will consider sponsoring your child through our fundraising page (link). Our goal is to raise $7,000! $30-75 is suggested per child, but any amount will be greatly appreciated. All proceeds from this event go toward purchasing school supplies, books, and technology, supporting teachers, and toward PTA- funded programs, such as Character Strong and Starting Arts. Contributions made by October 3rd will enter your child into the fundraiser raffle.

• Encourage your child to run more laps by sponsoring a per lap amount (i.e. $0.50-$1/lap). 

• Get family members and neighbors involved by having your child ask them for flat donations or per lap sponsorships as well. 

• Donations must be received by October 12th to be counted toward the contest.

We suggest making a donation on the Fundraising Page on Classroom Parent first, then toggling to the store to add in T-shirts for the whole family. Combining your donation with t-shirt/ticket purchases in a single transaction will reduce the site processing fees.

Walk-a-thon T-Shirts:

You can pre-order Walk-a-thon T-shirts for the whole family here (link). Place your order by September 17th. When you pre-order your shirt, we can guarantee you a T-shirt and the size you want. Shirts are available in sizes Youth S-L and Adult S-2XL. T-shirts will be distributed at school before the event. Only a few extra shirts are ordered and we sold out of T-shirts last year before the event, so pre-order yours early!

 

Check-In

Pre-registration is encouraged for a faster check-in process, but students are welcome to register at the event. Pre-register here. Registration opens at 8:30am and will be located just past the rotunda in the front entrance. Children who do not attend Almond are welcome to join. All participants must have a signed 2024 PTA waiver on file in order to attend the event. Participants will receive an official lap card at check-in to track their completed laps throughout the day.

 

Laps:

Participants will be able to run laps from the start of the event at 9:10 until the end of the event at 1:00pm. When the theme song is played, participants will receive double punches for laps completed during the song. The course is about ⅕ of a mile long.

 

Raffle Prizes & Contests

Raffle Prizes (Participant raffle and fundraiser raffle) will be drawn each hour throughout the event. Listen for your name to be called by the DJ. Winners must be present to win! Registered participants will automatically be entered upon registration - children who do not attend Almond can also be entered. Students with sponsors/donations made in their name by 10/3 will be automatically entered into the fundraiser raffle.

• The two students (1 upper grade, 1 lower grade) who raise the most money will be recognized and awarded at a school assembly after the Walk-a-thon!

• The two students who run the most laps from each grade level will be recognized and awarded at the school assembly after the Walk-a-thon!

 

Tickets:

Food and drinks will be available for purchase throughout the day. All items and games can only be purchased using tickets. Tickets can be pre-purchased on Classroom Parent where there are discounts (buy 50 tickets and get 5 free, or buy 20 and get 1 free). Tickets can be purchased at the event at the ticket sales table and cash is preferred. Tickets are $1 each 

 

Food and Drinks:

Food and drinks will be available for purchase throughout the day. Starting at 8:30, coffee and baked goods will be available. Lunch items will be available starting at 11:30am and this year will include pizza and banh mi sandwiches. Items will cost between 1-10 tickets and prices are noted on the tables. You are also welcome to bring your own food.

 

Rules and Safety:

A lap course has been set-up and we expect all participants to follow the direction of the course and enter and exit at the designated start. Please help your child(ren) follow these rules and not cut across the course. If cones get knocked down, we would appreciate your help standing them back up. A first Aid station will be set up to help participants with minor injuries. All participants are expected to have an adult onsite at all times. Lost children are encouraged to find an adult working at a volunteer station, or go to the DJ station and an announcement will be made to reunite children with parents.

 

Returning Lap Cards:

At the end of the event, we ask all Almond Students to return their lap cards to the registration table so that we can tally the number of laps completed! To be considered for the lap contest, students will need to return their lap cards to the registration table at the end of the event. Submissions after the walk-a-thon registration table closes will not be accepted.

 

Silent Auction and Hosted Parties:

Thanks to our generous parents, sponsors and teachers, we have a number of amazing items up for auction this year on our online silent auction! Check out the auction site and bid on items such as the coveted parking spaces in our school parking lot or a free week of sports camp or tickets to a sports event! If you would like to contribute to our silent auction, please fill out this form (link) by September 28th. Some ideas on how to contribute to the silent auction are: donating a short stay at your vacation home, donating sports/special event tickets, goods or services, or… even hosting a party! Community parties raise funds and bring our community together! Parties can be for a grade level, a small group of adults or kids, or whole families and the activities can be as simple or elaborate as you wish. Teachers and parents host parties to bring our community together as their gift to the PTA. View this guide for more information on hosting a party or inspiration from past events/contributions. 

 

Business Sponsorships:

If you own a business or you work for a business that would like to be a Walk-a-thon sponsor, or for more information, please reach out to Seeta Iyyer. Multiple tiers of sponsorship are available.

Volunteers!

In order for this event to be a success, we need a lot of adult and teen volunteers! Please consider a position during the event (lap puncher, prize table, refreshments table, setup/clean up etc) or contributing to the event with baked goods or lending a cooler or pop-up shade. Sign-Ups can be found here on Classroom Parent. If you have older teens who would like to help, you can sign them up through Classroom Parent as well.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Is the walk-a-thon a drop-off event?

No. The walk-a-thon is not a drop-off event. All children must have an adult present throughout the event.

 

What time should I arrive?

We recommend you arrive at 8:30 to get checked in and a home-base picked out. If you can’t arrive at 8:30 or can’t stay for the whole event, no problem! You’re welcome to come and go, just please leave your lap card at registration when you leave.

 

How much does the Walk-a-thon cost?

While participating in the walk-a-thon is free, we hope you will consider sponsoring your child through our fundraising page. Our goal is to raise $7,000! $30-75 is suggested per child, but any amount will be greatly appreciated. All proceeds from this event go toward purchasing school supplies, books, and technology, supporting teachers, and toward PTA- funded programs, such as Character Strong and Starting Arts. Contributions made by October 3rd will enter your child into the fundraiser raffle.

• Encourage your child to run more laps by sponsoring a per lap amount (i.e. $0.50-$1/lap). 

• Get family members and neighbors involved by having your child ask them for flat donations or per lap sponsorships as well. 

Can Older or Younger Siblings Attend?

Yes! Everyone is welcome at the Almond Walk-a-thon whether or not they attend Almond. We ask that all children participating in the event register at the registration table and complete a PTA waiver.

 

I’m not sure if I completed the PTA Waiver or Not - can someone help me check?

We’ll have names marked off for students who have completed the waiver before the event. For those who have not completed, we’ll have a QR code on the registration table for you to quickly complete. Go ahead and complete the waiver here.

 

Do I have to have a Classroom Parent account to donate to the walk-a-thon?

No! Our fundraising page can be accessed without requiring a login. If you or a family member are sponsoring a child without logging in, please include the student’s name you are sponsoring in the notes section so that we can match the donation to the student. 

 

How do per lap sponsorships work?

We encourage students to reach out to family members or even neighbors to get them involved in the event by asking them for a flat donation or per lap sponsorship. Per lap sponsorships are a way to encourage kids to run more laps. We do not have a system to record these sponsorships, so your student will need to return to the sponsor to share the number of laps they walked. The family member or neighbor can then use a guest account on our Fundraising Page to contribute the amount. Checks can also be made out to “Almond PTA” with “walk-a-thon” and the student’s name noted, and delivered to the school office. We prefer electronic funds when possible.

 

What do I do during the event while my child is running?

We encourage parents to sign-up to volunteer at a station during the event or say hi to other parents and get to know others within the Almond Ohana. Parents are also welcome to walk around the course with their child(ren)!

 

Will Walk-a-thon T-shirts be available for purchase at the event?

We only order a limited quantity of extra Walk-a-thon t-shirts and those typically sell out quickly before the event. If you want a T-shirt, we highly encourage you to pre-order a shirt by September 17th!

 

Do teachers come to the Walk-a-thon?

Yes! Most teachers come to the Walk-a-thon and can be seen mingling and walking/running around the course! Students love being able to run with their current and former teachers, and even our Principal, Mrs. Matteroli! 

 

We are looking forward to seeing everyone at our biggest and most fun FUNdraising event of the year! Go Almond Eagles!

 

Your 2024 Walkathon Committee Chairs, 

Ekaterina Tzvetkova and Lydia Buurma