Through teamwork and school spirit, the Sprucewood Elementary community came together to raise $25,000 to fund student PTA programs this year.

“It went really, really great; I’m proud of what our community has done together,” said school PTA President Emma Frost. “We were able to do what we have the last few years, and have the PTA buy shirts for all the students so everybody matches and they can all have that camaraderie.”

The Sept. 12 fun run for all 309 students — including 32 from the special education program — allowed them to take to the course in their new matching shirts. Each grade ran for half an hour, averaging about 35 laps per student. 

“There was this one kid — a little second grader — and I was like, he’s going to explode,” Frost laughed. “He (William Lebaron) ended up doing 67 laps. He got the most laps overall.”

Winners from each grade received medals featuring Falco the Falcon. Students included Seeley Page, Amada Purchase Lizardo, Harvey Daybell, Tristan Stewart, Crew Maires, Penny Butcher, Aria Garcia, Abeeha Qazi, Hayes Dahl, Teagan Beals, William Lebaron, Harriet Williams, Donavin Hetke, Deti Truma, Alex Chinn, Alisa Polianetska, Spencer Richards, Rylan Erwin, Jaycee Dahl, David Nemeth and Fielle Dansie.

Some students raised donations creatively.

“A fifth-grade girl was selling cookies,” Frost said. “For every $20, she’d bring you a dozen cookies. Some kids walked dogs for donations — it was fun to see how they got involved.”

A school carnival the following week pushed fundraising past $25,000. Frost said local business donations and percentages of sales helped boost profits from concessions.

Nineteen local businesses donated funds, including “two businesses gave at least $1,000 worth in prizes of bikes, Kindles, headphones and projectors,” she said.

For donation milestones, students earned schoolwide prizes such as Falcon temporary tattoos, keychains and water bottles. They also had opportunities to earn extra recesses or popcorn parties.

The funds raised will cover field trips, student involvement activities, staff appreciation events, and a special “gift” project for the school — similar to last year’s LEGO wall which helps students de-stress. 

“This year, I’d really like to buy them a whole bunch of event tents,” Frost said. “Maybe even pay some toward electrical work for the multipurpose room to upgrade their assemblies.”

More than 55 volunteers — including parents, grandparents and Alta and Corner Canyon high school students — helped run the event. 

With the fun run and carnival complete, the PTA is now focusing on Grandparents’ Day and the new Falcon Force volunteer program.