'Leader Launch' Complements Student Character Lessons

Secondary students cheered on
the young runners with signs
and high fives.
The runners received high fives of encouragement from high school students and parents during the Fun Run.
Boosterthon
Program
Emphasizes
Student
Character
Lessons
Central Florida Area Leader Matt Nolan
emceed the Fun Run event.
F
or ten days in September, the enthusiastic
yells of “Leader Launch!” could be heard
echoing all the way from the corners of the
LCS Early Childhood Center to the hallways
and classrooms of the Elementary/Middle School
building. This motto, fervently offered complete
with hand motions, was the theme of the 2010
Boosterthon program, a highly successful studentcentered
fundraising effort that came to LCS this
fall for the first time.
Boosterthon Introduced as
New Campus Fundraiser
Boosterthon was a marvelous blessing
the Lord brought to Lakeland Christian as
a replacement for the school’s longstanding
wrapping paper fundraiser. This effort proved
to be an energetic, impactful new experience
for students, young and old. This big, new
school “happening” included pep rallies, a
week of character and leadership lessons in the
classroom, and culminated with a fitness-focused
Fun Run in Viking Stadium.
The ten-day emphasis began with three
pep rallies, including one each for elementary,
middle school and high school students. This
rousing event introduced the Boosterthon team
and concept to the school and was designed to
get students excited about the upcoming effort.
Over the next several days, the Boosterthon team
members visited classrooms each day to teach
important character lessons and to encourage
students to gather pledges on a “per-lap” basis.
The program then culminated with the Fun Run,
where students in elementary and middle school
ran between 25-35 laps on a short track set up in
Viking Stadium. Older students and parents were
present to cheer on the runners.
In the process of all the hoopla, all the fun
and all the heart-focused character lessons, LCS
students raised a significant amount of money
for critical enhancements on the campus and
in their classrooms. In its first year at Lakeland
Christian, the Boosterthon Fun Run raised
approximately $51,000 in profit for the school.
This money will be primarily used for
technological resources in the
classrooms, and to provide
enhancements beyond the
school’s budget.
Character Development
is the Greatest
Benefit
Even though
LCS students
raised almost
triple the
amount of any
previous effort,
the greatest
benefit was
The energetic team from the Boosterthon
interacted with students each day.
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