Swormville school students run memorial marathon

SWORMVILLE — If you were to ask St. Mary School Swormville students what their favorite day of the school year is , one of their most likely answers would be “Marathon Day”!

Organized by the school’s Home School Association and completely run by parent volunteers, the Sister Sheila Memorial Marathon is a fun fitness activity for all students at St. Mary’s, from the littlest 3, 4 and 5 year olds in the Montessori Pre-K classroom, on up through the eighth grade students. All students who participate try and reach for their personal best distance, or highest number of “laps” around the marathon course, which stretches through the back parking lots of St. Mary School, past the playground, and back towards Transit Road. Post marathon, students are able to enjoy some water and fresh fruit to rehydrate and relax for a moment before returning to class for the day.

Each grade runs or walks together, and students are given a check mark on a tag they wear for each lap completed. Many students get quite competitive trying to earn the most laps for their grade. But the laps are just for fun, as donations are no longer collected per lap. Each student collects flat rate donations from friends and family prior to Marathon Day. This is one of the biggest fundraisers of the year for the St. Mary School HSA, with proceeds helping to fund the activities and events they host throughout the year. Each student has a goal of raising $30, and each class that raises 100 percent or more of its total class goal receives a dress-down day.

“This event is such a fun way for the kids to come together and actively participate in growing and showing support for the place they call home. They know it’s about raising money to help their school, they take pride in their performance, and even though we don’t collect per-lap pledges anymore, some of them are still ultra competitive about it,” said Lauren Suttell, a St. Mary School parent to three children, a St. Mary’s alum, and current HSA president.

Sister Sheila Anne Burke, OSF, whom the marathon is now named in memory of, was the beloved principal at St. Mary School for many years. She died suddenly in June 2014, as a selfless servant and friend who dedicated her life to Catholic education and generations of students at St. Mary’s School.

This year’s marathon, held on Oct. 2, raised over $5,000 for the St. Mary School HSA.