BARTO >> Hundreds of kids, parents and teachers gathered outside of Washington Elementary School Thursday, May 12, for a big fitness event that ended with children running a 2K distance.
The healthy affair was part of the school’s Cubs on the Run program which started just this year. The running club is similar to Girls on the Run expect boys are able to participate as well, said 4th grade teacher Julee Carns. Carns said the program began in October as an initiative of the school’s healthy food and exercise committee.
“We work on both healthy initiatives for the staff and the students,” she said.
About 80 students in grades 3rd through 6th participated in the Cubs on the Run program. The children exercised two days a week through stretches, YouTube dance videos and 15-minute runs. During the wintertime when it was too cold outdoors, the students were even allowed to run through the halls.
“The kids loved that,” Carns said.
All their hard work and fun resulted in a fitness celebration. On Thursday afternoon, teachers led hundreds of children in yoga poses and stretches. Then the children as part of the Cubs on the Run program ran a 2K distance around the school which is just over a mile. Students that didn’t run motivated their peers through inspiring posters and cheers.
“We try to keep it as fun as we can,” Carns said.