Amidst School Budget Crisis, Students At One Philadelphia School Are Running For Resources

PHILADELPHIA - May 30, 2013 - PRLog -- More than 200 students, teachers, alumni, parents, and elected officials will either run or walk laps around Masterman High School, located at 1699 Spring Garden Street, on Thursday June 20, 2013, starting at 8:30am. This is the second annual "Laps For Education" run-a-thon fundraiser for student enrichment programs. Organizers hope to double last year's totals by raising $20,000. Proceeds from "Laps For Education" 2012 supported Middle School athletic programs which include soccer, gymnastics, volleyball, tennis, and basketball. "Laps For Education" is the brainchild of Masterman parent and seventh grade geography teacher Mr. Louis Borda. He ran 100 laps last year and says this year they are encouraging walkers. "We do not want to exclude anyone from this event," says Mr. Borda. "So, even if you're not a long distance runner, we are encouraging walkers, at all levels, to come out and support our school."
All "Laps For Education" participants pay a registration fee of $10, then supporters pledge a dollar amount per lap for each runners or walker. One lap is a quarter mile. The more laps, the more money for Masterman students. "Laps For Education" is set up like an actual race with a live DJ and water station. While there are no medals, all of the students at Masterman are winners. "Laps For Education" is open to the public and you can register onsite on June 13th starting at 8am. You can also make a donation online by going to: http://www.mastermanhsa.org/march-announcement-12/lapsfor...  All contributions go to the Masterman Home & School Association and are tax deductible!
Philadelphia schools are in the middle of a huge budget crisis facing a $300-million shortfall. While legislators wrangle over where to find the money, schools do not have adequate funding to open in the fall. Educators and parents are advocating for public education and coming up with creative sources of funding. "Laps For Education" is one way to raise money and, at the same time promote a healthier lifestyle.
For more information about "Laps For Education" email Elise Kraemer at elisekraemer@verizon.net. All media inquiries should be directed to Leslie Patterson-Tyler at (609) 247-2632 or email Leslie@TylerMadePR.com.