Hamilton Southeastern Schools Foundation (HSSF) is putting the $10,000 donation it received from the inaugural Geist Half Marathon to good use. The Foundation recently awarded grants to seven health and fitness initiatives within the school district.
The largest grants ($2,000 each) went to the district’s new “Fishers Community Gets Healthy” program and to a special education initiative that will include use of a Wii video gaming system.
The $10,000 from the Geist Half Marathon was earmarked for health and fitness initiatives and represented nearly half of the $21,000 in grants that HSSF awarded this fall.
“It meant there was more money we could use to support our teachers who come up with great ideas,” said Lisa Allen, HSSF executive director.
The Foundation received 62 grant applications representing about $80,000 in requests, Allen said. Determining who would receive the grant money was no easy task.
Here are the Health and Fitness grants HSSF awarded with its funds from the inaugural Geist Half Marathon:
- Hamilton Southeastern School District - $2,000 for Fishers Community gets Healthy. A district-wide, year-long initiative encourages elementary students to exercise daily with family members culminating in participating in the Geist Half Marathon in May 2009.
- Andrea McMurty, Fishers Junior High- $1,500 for SHARBADE. It’s a team-oriented game for Shoulder, ARm and BAck DEvelopment for use in physical educations classes.
- Heidi Wasteney, Riverside - $1,500 for SHARBADE. Team-oriented game for Shoulder, ARm and BAck DEvelopment for use in physical education classes.
Andrea McMurty, Fishers Junior High - $900 for Rowing our Way to Better Fitness. It provides rowing machines for an ongoing unit in wellness classes that encourages students to improve their physical fitness using cardiovascular equipment, specifically rowers. Students compete online against other schools.- Karen Boyd, Hamilton Southeastern Junior High - $1,100 for The Fitness Element. To promote physical fitness and fight childhood obesity, students adopt a personal fitness portfolio. Students are tested, develop goals, participate in a fitness plan and log results and achievements.
- Deb Forkner, Mary Carson, Riverside - $1,000 for Riverside Healthy Hawks in Training. Riverside school will hold its second annual training group for the 2009 Geist 5K and Mini Marathon. Students will complete 15 weeks of running training, technology and instruction.
- Chrissy Collesano, Hamilton Southeastern High School - $2,000 for Teaching Functional and Cooperative Skills through Technology. Using a Wii system and a video flip camera, each student in special education classes will gain educational, social, emotional, communication and physical skills.
