Local elementary students hold ‘Walk-a-thon’ to raise money for childhood cancer

INDIANAPOLIS — Elementary school students in Perry Township put together an event to raise money for childhood cancer awareness and support one of their peers in the process.

On Monday, Rosa Parks Elementary School hosted its second Walk-a-thon. The event’s goal was to raise $5,000 and collectively walk 560 miles for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.

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“In my classroom, you learn all of our state standards and go through our curriculum but you see real-world application in the process,” Britni Pascoe, a fourth-grade teacher at Rosa Parks Elementary, said. “My kids have been learning literacy and math standards and putting it all to good use by hosting this fundraiser.”

Students were able to sign up to walk laps during the event. It was $1 per lap. Students could also enjoy lemonade stands, bracelet making, cornhole and a photo booth. All proceeds went to critical childhood cancer research.

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“We really want to help [the kids] so they don’t feel in danger anymore. We can save them,” fourth grader Jackson Campbell said. “A lot of kids would get cured with medicine if all schools did this.”

Organizers say this event celebrates Leanor Formo, a student who has inspired her peers after being diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma in 2020.

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“Leanor was in recovery and her mom asked if we could do something small for her at the school. I said, ‘Well, we can do better than that.’ We put it in the kids’ hands, and they came up with the walk-a-thon idea last year,” Pascoe said.

For more information on Alex’s Lemonade Stand or to donate, click here.

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