As written by Ainsley Hall and published in The Journal on November 1, 2024
SUMMIT POINT — South Jefferson Elementary School had its annual Fall Fun Run on Friday, where it encouraged students to exercise while raising money to support someone in the school community.
This year, the school raised money in honor of physical education teacher Chris Atkins by donating to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Atkins has worked at South Jefferson Elementary for 18 years. He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), which is a chronic autoimmune disease that can affect the central nervous system. In some cases, it can make it difficult to walk, speak, write, or see clearly. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society works to fund research for the disease and raise awareness to help those dealing with the disease.
Atkins shared that he was honored that the school would recognize him and raise funds to help others who live with MS.
“This morning, I was very emotional,” he said. “Tears welled up in my eyes knowing that they are doing this for me. It’s hard, because I think there are plenty of other organizations that deserve the support, but it’s really a special honor that they chose to do something like this for me.”
Throughout the day, each grade level took turns running laps to see which class could complete the most. Many students also made their own personal goals and competed to see who could run the most. Families were also encouraged to donate money to go toward the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
“The kids love Mr. Atkins,” South Jefferson Elementary Principal Keri Mahoney said. “One parent recently came to me saying that their daughter brought her tooth fairy money to donate. It’s the generosity of helping someone in school that makes this event so fun.”
This year, Mahoney came up with a new idea to make the Fall Fun Run extra special. During the summer, she saw a video on TikTok, where people dressed up in inflatables and raced against each other. She brought the idea to the staff members, who were excited to try it out.
“Our staff love to do stuff like this,” Mahoney said. “After I sent the message, many of them responded right away saying they would do it. Some of our more reserved teachers also participated, because they wanted to get involved.”
This event created a great opportunity for students to learn how to give back to others while also bringing the school community together. The school is excited to continue this tradition in the future.