Tag: Kids Feeding Kids

Field Day: Having Fun Raising Money for a Cause

Field Day started several years ago at TIA Charter School as an all-school activity. Back then they had a Hawaiian Day where kids would dress up “Hawaiian” and play around with different water games.  Not everybody wanted to get wet and not everybody wanted to participate in those games, so TIA started having Field Day and Hawaiian Day. Eventually they realized that the kids had more fun and participated more in Field Day so Hawaiian Day was discontinued. The First Half of Field Day Has Become a Walkathon! Raising Money for a Cause Now, the first half of Field Day is a walk-a-thon fundraiser which raises money for Kids Feeding Kids. This helps provide meals for the children in Reynosa Tamaulipas, Mexico, during the summer and over the weekends when they don't go to school. The first year TIA was able to raise about $100 by having students donate money throughout the year. The second year the donations went up to $200. When they started the walk-a-thon last year, they raised  $600. This year they raised close to $1000. The kids ask parents and businesses to pledge money to the students for the number of laps they will walk. An average student (even the kindergarteners) walks about 2 to 3 miles and they're happy to do it. Some of the older kids walk up to 10 miles. The kids like the second half of Field Day more than the walk-a-thon, but the fundraising part of Field Day helps the school family see that the day isn’t just about TIA students having fun.  The parents see the kids doing something to help other children and taking part in campaign that is bigger than the school. Last year about 200 kids participated and this year there were about 400 students walking laps. The Second Half of Field Day - Fun and Games After the fundraiser is done, the games start. All four campuses participate and students play different games depending on their grade level.  The little ones will play kick ball or play on the playground.  The older ones will play soccer or football. The wonderful thing about Field Day is that the students don’t want teams from the several campuses to compete against each other; they mix up the schools to form their teams.  The kids bond and have a lot of fun together. Field Day is the last day of the week of Color Wars at TIA. Be a Part of the TIA Fun Tucson International Academy is an independently-run charter school. It is a team-based learning community that prepares students for a global society. Events such as Field Day  help build team spirit and cooperation between the different campuses and students at TIA and help the students think beyond their city to help others in need. Let us bring the world to your child and your child to the world.  Click here!     Written by Kim Murphey ~ TheJ3Effect
Field Day: Raising Money for a causeField Day: Raising Money for a causeField Day: Raising Money for a cause

Kids Feeding Kids

Far too often, children around the globe rely on their school to feed them, going home in the afternoons and on weekends to little or no food. This year, TIA is excited to partner with Kids Feeding Kids to help assuage this need.

Target Community: Reynosa

The specific community that TIA plans to target is Reynosa, a border city in Tamaulipas (the Mexican state that borders the southern tip of Texas). One of the five fastest growing cities in Mexico, Reynosa is largely characterized by extreme poverty.

Walkathon to Raise Money

On Friday May 18, three TIA campuses joined together at Joaquin Murietta Park for a Walkathon. Students walked laps and participated in various field activities which provided an opportunity to exercise their bodies as well as their sense of compassion. In the past, funds from an annual walkathon have been used to purchase school supplies or P.E. equipment. But this year, when Fred Collum - Senior Organizer for Kids Feeding Kids- asked TIA to participate, TIA was compelled. “We felt the necessity to do something like this. So we set a goal to reach $400 by the end of the year,” says Mr. Montemayor. To reach this goal, each student was asked to pledge $5, either from their own money or from sponsors. Mr. Montemayor of the West campus, says that “What we’re trying to teach is that we are a community. As a community we need to help others out. It doesn’t matter if it’s by reaching out asking for help, or if it’s coming from our own pocket.”

Student Donations

Already, there is evidence that the students have learned this lesson and are well on their way to reaching the goal. Even before the walkathon, $250 had been collected in the donation jar next to the snack bar, where students can donate in lieu of buying candy. “Each year, students spend an average of $1000 on snacks - so to get a quarter of it donated instead of spent on themselves, I think is a pretty good turnout,” says Montemayor. Whether it’s forgoing a snack or walking a lap, TIA students are demonstrating a willingness to sacrifice for their community. From Tucson, Arizona to Reynosa, Tamaulipas, kids are feeding kids.
Kids Feeding Kids