UNION CITY, Ohio — The Mississinawa Valley Elementary Student Council and Emily Clark, the physical education teacher, are making sure students there know all about the March of Dimes.
The student council hosted dress up spirit days to help raise funds for March of Dimes earlier this month. Student council, consisting of two elected individuals from each fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade homerooms, chose three themes in which the elementary (K-6 grades) could participate.
On March 4, the students were asked to donate pennies to wear pajamas to school and $195.95 was collected.
“They brought in 102 pounds of pennies,” Clark said.
March 11, students were able to to wear jerseys or other sporting attire if they donated quarters, Quarters for Quarterbacks. $273.80 was collected. The final spirit day brought in $197.42. The students could donate dimes and dress as a double (twin day). A grand total of $667.17 was collected for the MVES Student Council to donate to March of Dimes.
Mississinawa Valley Elementary is conducting its own “mini walk” during their physical education classes this week. Clark said students have been asked to raise additional funds at home starting March 17 and ending April 1. Her goal is to have raised $1,500 by that time.
Envelope packets have been sent home with the students.
During their walks this week, Clark is educating students on the March of Dimes, explaining its history and reporting statistics. She talked about how U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt suffered from polio and about his challenging the United States to send dimes to the White House in 1938 for what became known as the March of Dimes.
It was noted that the March of Dimes eradicated polio in the United States and now it is about prevention. March of Dimes prevents birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality, doing this through research and development, advocate, education and awareness.
The March of Dimes got its start in 1970, 46 years ago, so because four plus six equals 10, so the MV students have to do 10 push-ups during the walk. Later on in the walk, Clark reads them another statistic and there they have to do 39 jumping jacks. In yet another stop, because $2.3 billion has been raised for March of Dimes in the past 46 years, they have to do 23 toe touches.
Their walks took place around the school campus.
Mississinawa Valley Elementary School has been the top Wonder Walk school in Darke County for the past three years, according to Clark, who became interested in March of Dimes eight years ago when her niece was born prematurely.
Her niece, Ruth Ann Gariety of Minster, was in Natal Intensive Care Unit for 107 days, but is a healthy 8-year-old child today.
Of the three years Mississinawa Elementary has been the top Wonder Walk School, Clark was the physical education teacher. The first year it was Jan Smith.
“Want to donate to March of Dimes through Mississinawa Valley Elementary?” Clark asked. “Contact any elementary student or email me at [email protected].”
Clark also noted that the student council has in the works for next year a 5K next year during the school day for March of Dimes.
