Trots for Tots at Rosalia school Friday

The school day in Rosalia will be packed with a little fun Friday: music, an inflatable obstacle course and a dunk tank.

For the third straight year, Jennifer Olson's leadership class of sophomores, juniors and seniors has organized the Trots for Tots Walk-A-Thon to benefit the March of Dimes.

“We start off by soliciting donations from local businesses. It's within the school grounds, and there will be fun activities and stations,” Olson explained.

Olson said one side of the field will have a dunk tank, and the other will have an inflatable obstacle course. Participants will walk laps throughout the event.

“We have some of our favorite teachers already signed up for the dunk tank, and the kids are very, very excited to dunk them,” she said.

This year, the community is invited to join in on the fun. For the past two years, the event was held just as a school event. She added that the community and the businesses have been a great support.

“They're always very generous,” Olson said. “For such a small school, it's pretty amazing that we're able to do this.”

Last year, the school was able to raise nearly $3,000 to donate to the March of Dimes, which aims to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature death and infant mortality.

“We donate to the March of Dimes. The kids like doing that one,” Olson said. “We want to help an organization that helps kids.”

The money raised last year was enough to make the Rosalia school the ninth largest fund raiser for the March of Dimes of eastern Washington in 2015.

“We were honored by them in January for that,” Olson said. “The kids were pretty excited. That was pretty nice. They brought in a lot of their donors for a breakfast.”

Olson said the event on Friday will have prizes for things such as walking the most laps and raising the most money. She added that students who raise more than $10 will also each receive a t-shirt.

“We don't ask for much,” Olson said. “We just ask for whatever they can do.”

Olson said she is proud of her leadership class for stepping up to organize Trots for Tots and other events.

“It's just gotten better. I'm very, very impressed with the students and how they have taken it on,” she said. The leadership class has 16 students in 10th through 12th grade. One student, Gensen Merritt, a senior, has been in the class each of the three years for the Walk-A-Thon.

Olson, who also teachers history and English, has taught the leadership class for six years.

“This has been probably my most successful year in the leadership class,” she said.

The Trots for Tots Walk-A-Thon is scheduled for tomorrow, April 29, from 12:30 to 2:45 p.m. at the Rosalia school. The community is invited to attend and participate, and Olson said the total amount of money raised will not be known until that time. She added the excitement she has for the Walk-A-Thon.

“I really love this event,” she said.

Anyone looking for more information can call the Rosalia school at 509-523-3061.