Paying $5 to participate in the Ugly “Sweat”er one-mile run, students raised money for the Wellness Department Student Awards and equipment, as well as the Big Red Picnic Program. Students ran wearing their ugliest holiday sweaters and were offered hot chocolate after the run.
Students were offered the chance to, according to physical education teacher Kelly Kelly, “have a little fun before the holiday break,” through a one mile walk/run around the school. The event was held during a special 5th block schedule on December 20, the day before winter break..
According to freshman Afreen Ahmad, the ugly sweaters were the best part and made her want to participate next year.
“The highlight of the walk was seeing everyone’s ugly sweaters,” Ahmad said. “My favorite was a conjoined twin sweater.” Ahmad said she will “definitely be wearing one like that next year.”
The proceeds from the event went to a variety of causes, one being a program run by the school district.
“I wanted to support a good cause and have something fun to do with friends right before break,” freshman Ava Saydam said.
The Big Red Picnic Program is a district program that runs over the summer, which offers Souderton students with free lunches over the summer.
The run started at 10:50 a.m. and followed a loop around the school, originating from the cafeteria courtyard. At the end, students received hot chocolate served by wellness teachers.
According to freshman Christian Stopyra, the cold weather was defeated by the warm cocoa and funny moments. “It was freezing during the run, but the hot chocolate really hit the spot afterwards,” Stopyra said.
Stopyra said the highlight of the event was seeing people complete the run, especially those who “hopped out of their cars halfway through the race.”
Not every student indulged in hot chocolate. Nonetheless, freshman James Walsh still found joy in the event. “I didn’t actually have any hot chocolate” Walsh said, “but I still enjoyed seeing people.”
The run was also considered a makeup for missed gym classes for students in physical education teacher Mike Childs’ PE 1 class. This encouraged freshman Cheyenne Tressler and others to participate.
“I needed to do a makeup for gym. That’s the main reason I did it,” Tressler said, “but it ended up being pretty fun.”
According to freshman Lauren McClure, the school is very successful at fundraising and supporting the community. “I think the school does a great job when it comes to fundraising. It’s awesome to see so many people supporting good causes,” McClure said.