By Laura Marreel

Principal Pacelli Catholic Schools

For over 40 years Pacelli Catholic schools has had an annual fall fundraiser to help support the cost of classroom teaching and supplies. The Pacelli walkathon has taken many forms in the past, from a day of walking 37 miles around Austin with the entire school, to cleaning up trash around Austin’s downtown and Mill Pond, to the community-­wide event that was held last weekend at Todd Park in Austin.

Every year, our students canvas the community to raise pledges to help support the great programs they are offered at Pacelli. To help raise awareness and celebrate the community of Austin, this year we invited everyone out for a race, pancake feed, and carnival.

Our first annual Ride It Race It Walk It, 5K 10K run, bike, walk on Oct. 3 was a huge success. With almost 200 participants, there was something for every member of the family. Families walked the 5K with little ones in strollers, kids and adults could bike the 10K for a competitive race, and avid runners competed in the 5K and 10K to improve their time. The Austin Trails provided a beautiful fall backdrop, and the mood was simply happy and healthy.

Luke Hoeppner, Shelley King, and Sarah Nelsen were the male and co-­female first place finishers for the 5K run; Nathan Drees and Kayla Christopherson were the male and female first place finishers for the 10K run; and Luke Weaver and Emma Keenan were the male and female first place finishers for the 10K Bike race. Congratulations to all finishers.

All that healthy activity built up a hunger only pancakes could cure. The Knights of Columbus put on one of their famous pancakes feeds in the Izaak Walton cabin from 8 a.m. to ­noon. They had a record number of customers, forcing a few grocery runs mid­-morning. We are so grateful for the continuous support the Knights of Columbus provides to Pacelli Catholic Schools and to the community of Austin.

The fun did not stop there. Pacelli’s School Board organized the most entertaining Fall Festival in town, complete with an inflatable obstacle course, over 20 games for all ages, a very popular dunk tank, face painting, prizes, and more. From stuffed animals to snack cakes and Bounce World passes, ­this carnival was fun for all ages. A special thank you goes out to the Austin Bruins Hockey players and Bruiser who came out to give away tickets, take pictures with kids, and continuously dunk Mr. Steve King, Pacelli Alum and Austin City Council Member, in the freezing cold dunk tank.

This event, combined with the pledges earned by our students, and the generosity of the parish members of St. Augustine, St. Edwards, and Queen of Angels Catholic Churches in town, helped us raise over $29,000. These much needed funds go right back to programming and classroom needs at Pacelli, such as our fantastic K­12 art program, 4­12 band and orchestra, educational field trips, science lab materials, and so much more.

We want to thank the community of Austin for allowing us to showcase our excitement for education, love of family, and passion for healthy activities. Thank you to our event’s major business supporters: Hy-Vee, Games People Play, The City of Austin, Simplified Technology Solutions, The Austin Bruins, and the Knights of Columbus. We thank the hard work of the event chairs, Robyn Bickler and Krista Kahle, and their families. Thanks goes out to all Pacelli parents, volunteers, School Board, Booster Club, students, and staff for making this such a successful fall fundraiser.

Finally, we thank all who came out to participate in the first annual Ride It, Race It, Walk It 5K, 10K, Pancake Breakfast, and Family Fall Festival. We hope to see you all again next year!