Dear Maggie —
I keep getting all of these “Walk To Lose Weight” ads in my Facebook feed lately – and while I deplore the way that Facebook seems to be listening to my conversations (despite the banality of them), I must admit that I’ve been talking about getting more exercise in this way to drop a ton of few pounds lately. So you can imagine my glee when I saw that the SMOS Walk-A-Thon was happening in October, and given that we’re a new family, I figured you’d be the right person, err spirit, whatever you are… to give me the scoop on what this is all about. Also, is doing this in pearls, maybe Prancercise-style, an option – because, well, that would just be hilarious!
— Prancing Patty
Dear Prancing —
I love your enthusiasm for this event! It’s just the thing for this beloved SMOS fundraiser – and something tells me you’ll fit right in! The Walk-A-Thon is a long-held tradition here at St. Margaret of Scotland, and there have been several iterations of it over the years.
Few know that this event actually dates back to the good old days when Malcolm and I ruled over Scotland. Of course, things looked a little different back then. Actually, it was originally called a Daunder-A-Thon, but since running from dragons and violent clans was anything but leisurely, the name was a bit of a misnomer. Some elements have remained – for many children, it’s really all about the snack bar, though it was more like black pudding and oatcakes rather than Airheads and Ring Pops, but you get the idea.
Jump ahead to modern times, and the SMOS Walk-A-Thon had evolved. Originally planned as a walk in the neighborhood around the school (down Lawrence, around Flora, and back), eventually the student body grew, and the event moved to Tower Grove Park. Under the nimble organization skills and tireless efforts of Chris Stephens – duh! (not to mention the iron will of Julie Hesed, who would only grant the day before Thanksgiving as a holiday if the 20k goal was met – spoiler alert, the school rarely got the day off… you can connect the dots), the Walk-A-Thon raised much-needed funds towards the school budget every year. And over time, families grew to love the sense of community and camaraderie that only walking for a cause on a brisk Fall morning, not to mention hot dogs for breakfast, can bring. If you ask old-timers, they’ll often tell you that the Walk-A-Thon is their favorite SMOS event each year. Parents often walk with their kids. And groups of families will gather for an impromptu picnic of coffee, donuts, and other breakfast treats.
And that brings us to this year – where the times are a changin’ again! Gone is the budget requirement (raising funds for operating expenses is not exactly a sexy cause) – and that freed the school up to rethink this event. Chris Stephens was very happy to hang up her fundraising shoes and Sam’s card, and hand over the reins to School Board member Kate Mahoney. This year, for the first time ever, the Mandeville Scholarship Fund will get a dedicated fundraiser all of its own. For many years now, there has been no annual mechanism to bring donations into the coffers of the fund – and that’s about to change with this retooling of the Walk-A-Thon. Plus, to bring things full circle, the walk is being brought back to the School this year – nothing like returning to your roots. Though I will admit, the idea of lapping past Damn Fine Hand Pies 28 times feels like more than I will be able to bear, so if you’re looking for me, just know I might be parked at a table on the corner, cheering on the kiddies, and consuming $6 donuts.
I hope this answers your question well enough – I didn’t really have time for my usual quippy responses. I went down a bit of a rabbit hole, or gravel hole as it was – literally, the one on Shaw had me trapped for several hours today. It made me late for subbing for gym. I’ve been subbing a lot. So much subbing.
And as for your Prancercise suggestion… how did you know that I LOVE to Prancercise? I even did a Prancercise 10K last year down in Boca, and trust me – it’s not just for fundraisers. Eagle-eyed readers will spot me and my prancing moves headed down Flora from time to time. So, stop horsing around, and make your plans for this year’s Walk-A-Thon right away! It’s the best bet for a fun time at SMOS!!
— Maggie