Despite rain, $11K raised at walk-a-thon

By Carrie A. Mizell

Rainy weather and cold temperatures barely put a damper on the Gilchrist County Education Foundation’s annual walk-a-thon Saturday as a large crowd gathered on the courthouse lawn.
The 2011 walk-a-thon generated $11,100.97, which is an increase of $678.26 from last year’s event. Twelve teams worked tirelessly to raise funds for the Education Foundation this year.

Owen Yates led the pledge of allegiance during opening ceremonies.

Bell Elementary School was once again credited as the top fundraiser this year, having generated $2,809.95 in donations. Not only did BES rank first in the schools category, the team raised over $700 more than any other team participating.
Trenton Elementary School placed second in the school category, having raised $1,933.21. Bell Middle/High raised $1,512.47 and Trenton Middle/High garnered $765.
Drummond Community Bank swept the business category, raising $1,017. According to Amy Owens of Drummond Community Bank, most of the money raised at the bank came from the sale of small change purses, which were sold for $2 each.
Capital City Bank came in second, with $800 in donations. Ameris Bank garnered $751. A new team this year, Dairy Production Systems, brought in $463; and Lafayette State Bank raised $274.34.
The Gilchrist County Courthouse team raised $360 for the annual walk-a-thon, followed by the Gilchrist County School Board Office with $315 and the Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office with $100.
After walking the two-mile course, winding through the streets of Trenton, participants enjoyed bottled water and hot dogs.
According to Tiffany Turner, the board of directors for the Education Foundation are not sure yet how many applicants they will have from graduating seniors in 2011, because the deadline to apply is February 28. The applications were passed out later than usual this year due to a revision of the application layout.
The Education Foundation’s next fundraiser will be the 18th Annual Wild Beast Feast on Friday, April 8 at the Gilchrist County FFA Alumni Arena.