Morningside Blockwalk family carnival a success despite rain

 The students at Morningside Elementary wouldn’t let the weather dampen their enthusiasm during the PTA’s annual Blockwalk fundraiser held on Sept. 16.

“I’ve watched the weather,” Rosie Kaufman, PTA organizer said. “It hadn’t rained for five weeks and it has not rained since but that day, there was a real downpour.”

 After more than 15 years, the Blockwalk is now a tradition. Students gather pledges from friends and family, then walk on a designated route. The route was initially through adjoining neighborhoods, but had to be changed to the perimeter of the school.

“The kids were not discouraged at all, even though we had to alter the route when we could see lightning,” Kaufman said. Some of the students walked 16 or 17 miles in less than four hours, some bringing in nearly $400 each. More than $4,700 was raised from the pledges alone.

In all, the PTA will have $16,800 to use when planning field trips, art and music activities, Red Ribbon Week, literacy night and other activities. The Blockwalk is the only exclusively PTA fundraiser of the year for the school.

 Back at the school that evening, there was food, carnival games, a silent auction and a bounce house. Particularly popular was the game where kids could win a goldfish. That game brought in $350 alone. At the last minute, most of the activities had to be moved indoors because of the rain, but organizers said it was still a huge success.

 Parents say events such as these are helpful in making the students feel a sense of unity. Since Morningside has both a French dual immersion and a Magnet program, the students in those programs often feel splintered from the main student body because those who are in these programs stay together for their entire elementary experience. Who says?