FOURTEEN LITTLE “TURKEYS” giggled and stretched as they prepared to waddle as fast as they could. In orange tutus, or striped socks, turkey hats or feathers, the flock warmed up by jogging in place and stretching up, up on their tippy toes.
KINDERGARTENERS RUN ON THE FIELD DURING THE START OF THE ST. PIUS V TURKEY TROT AND JOG-A-THON FUNDRAISER. PHOTO BY SCOTT SMELTZER/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
Then with a cheer, the transitional kindergartners were off, racing along the loop at their school’s second annual Turkey Trot Jog-A-Thon.
“It’s pretty good. I like running some races,” said kindergartener Hanson Chang, 5. “There’s, like, everyone running, and I like racing them.”
St. Pius V Catholic School in Buena Park got into the Thanksgiving spirit early with its biggest fundraiser of the year on Nov. 20. The TK-through-eighth -grade school had students dressed up in autumnal-colored T-shirts — each personalized and decorated for the season — and running laps with the hope of raising $20,000.
“This opportunity is a fundraiser,” said Principal Shannon Kwan. “We have to have fundraisers, but it’s also about the wellbeing of our students. This is an opportunity to emphasize taking care of your body and wellness. So, we’re glad to partner them together with taking care of our school and taking care of our students at the same time.”
The hoped-for $20,000 would bring musical instruments to the campus. Currently, students in grades three through five learn to play the recorder, which parents purchase. There is also a piano and keyboard.
“And that’s it,” said Kwan, adding they are hoping to purchase hand-held percussion instruments as a start to building the program up to eventually offer string instruments.
Second-grader Desiree Almejo, 7, said she wants to learn to play the violin someday, but she already loves music class.
“I can dance, I can sing and I can make music,” Desiree said.
Adding musical instruments to the program would better round out the students’ education, Kwan explained.
“We always emphasize math and language arts, and they’re important subjects, of course,” she shared. “But when you add in a component of music, you get math out of it, and you see students open up a little bit more. We’ve always been a little heavy on athletics, but not every student wants to play football after school or basketball after school. That’s just not their talent. So, I want to reach all the talents of our students. Music education can bring a lot out of a student that maybe hasn’t found their talent or voice yet.”
The donations will also bring funding to physical education classes. The school has no soccer nets. It needs to replace outdated basketball hoops and also wants to offer pickleball as well. St. Pius V is a known basketball school, however. Fr. Wayne Adajar, the parish’s parochial administrator who played college basketball in the Philippines, can be found from time to time playing with the students. But soccer is on the upswing, said PE teacher Phil Knapp.
The school has five basketball teams this year and will offer a soccer league in the spring. Knapp said the children are competitive and want to play all the time.
“It’s very essential for us to get this equipment so they can have fun, and also so I can teach,” Knapp said.
St. Pius won’t find out how much it raised until after Thanksgiving break, but the Jog-A-Thon’s theme, which started last year, has been a hit.
“The turkey costumes make the day,” said second-grade teacher Valerie Bell. One of Bell’s students, Luciana Segoviano-Carbajal, said she loved dressing up as a turkey.
“I like how you can wear crazy socks, crazy skirts and crazy tops,” she said.
While a fun event for the younger students, the Turkey Trot was one of many lasts the soon-to-be St. Pius V alumni will have. For eighth graders, their final time running is very emotional, Knapp said.
Elizabeth Duarte volunteered to work at her son Antonio’s final Jog-A-Thon before he goes off to high school. A mother of two, Duarte said the annual event is touched with sadness, as it’s her family’s final one. But still, Duarte added, her family has made good friends and St. Pius has been a good experience for them all.
“These kinds of activities are just really fun for families to get together, talk to each other and just support our kids,” said Duarte, “because at the end of the day, we’re all here because we love our kids and want to make memories for them. So, we take lots of pictures.”