Students Participate in Safe Jog-a-thon…
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very year, Hawaiian Mission Academy (HMA) Windward Campus and HMA Ka Lama Iki get together for a joint jog-a-thon fundraising event. These have always been fun days, with families helping to count laps and offer refreshments to the runners. However, this year the two schools held separate events due to COVID-19. For Jog-a-thon 2021, HMA Windward decided to forego the usual running track venue in order to maintain family bubbles and limit exposure. Families met at the HMA Windward campus early Sunday morning on January 17 to warm up and stretch while spread out over the parking lot. This allowed students and families to enjoy camaraderie and school spirit at a safe distance. Each family was provided with free apps to keep track of students’ distances. After Pastor Brennon Kirstein’s worship thought and prayer, families scattered to locations of their choice (neighborhoods, parks, running tracks, hiking trails, etc.) to run/walk/jog for two consecutive hours. They had until 6:00 p.m. to complete the event and submit the data from their apps, which showed their time and distance. Since this event was new, the anticipation was that it wouldn’t raise as much as previous years, but participants are praising God for the $12,000 that was collected! Students were given incentives such as treats and prizes for donations collected. Everyone enjoyed the award ceremony, which recognized the top runners and top collectors. Organizers received positive feedback from families on the way the event was executed despite the obvious obstacles, and they are thankful to be able to find ways to continue to encourage exercise, raise money, and promote school spirit. ____________________ By Hilda Scott
24 Pacific Union Recorder
Hawaii Conference
