My students need a shade tent and an ice chest with wheels to help them stay safe and hydrated in the heat of our cross country season.
$475 goal
Hooray! This project is fully funded
Hooray! This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
Running can be a life changing experience for a high school student, especially since it requires some of the same qualities to be successful in life: persistence, determination, courage, and leadership.
At my school, two-thirds of the students are below the poverty level.
This is reflected on my Cross Country team. For the past 20 years or so, we have had one coach, no trainer, no assistant coach. Uniforms have been purchased out of the coach's salary. Our kids come from some of the poorest areas in our city. Buying a decent pair of running shoes is a huge commitment for many families. And for many of the runners, this is the first experience on an organized athletic team. On this team, there are no tryouts. Anyone willing to commit to the training is automatically on the team, regardless of ability. Some of our slowest runners are the most determined and heroic.
My Project
I am requesting two very simple items: a pop-up canopy and a rolling ice chest. These may seem trivial, but they are not. Our team has grown from about 20 athletes when I became coach in 2008 to over 80 athletes today. We run under the hot southwestern sun in the early autumn. Staying hydrated and sheltered at invitational and league meets is a critical element of runner safety. With such a large team now, the need for communal resources such as the ice chest and canopy are even more acute.
Imagine a bunch of poor kids arriving at a large cross country invitational.
Other more affluent schools also arrive with their trainers, carts full of supplies pulled by parents, custom uniforms, and several coaches. My kids have none of these things, but they do have big hearts. I know they will shine at the meet, regardless of their finish place. These two simple items that I am requesting will give them just a little more of the support and assistance that they need.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mr. Mulfinger and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
