As many of you may know, today is the third anniversary of the tragic catastrophe: Hurricane Katrina. The storm was the third strongest to hit land in the history of the United States and the costliest, leaving tremendous damage in it’s wake.

Now, three years later, it is comforting to see those who have recovered and are strong as ever. This holds true for Robert Mills Lusher Alternative Elementary School, the number one public school in New Orleans, according to Gambit Weekly. The school is not only praised for its arts curriculum, high test scores, and diversity, but for it’s parent involvement as well.

Several Sources report that what needs the most improvement in the New Orleans public school system is more parent interest in his/her child’s education. As First Court Judge Sonja Spears stated, “I think that parental involvement makes all the difference in the world. That’s what I see at Lusher, which is lacking at many of the schools that are not doing as well in the public school system. There’s a myriad of other problems and challenges, but I think they can be overcome, as long as parents and families continue to invest in the system.”

Evidence of vast community involvement at Lusher is clearly represented by an event that took place on February 24th of this year, called the Lusher Mardi Gras Marathon Fundraiser. Organized by the school’s PTA, the Carnival race raised over $10,000! However, The greatest achievement of this fundraiser was not just the amount collected, but the community involvement. Local runners (including Lusher teachers!) participated in the marathon and received encouragement from seventy donations on the Firstgiving page. Shout outs like, “GOOD LUCK MS. TULLY” and others wrought with endless exclamation points show the student excitement that was generated in the parent/teacher participation.

What appears to be the most important aspect of this fundraiser is the clear correlation between a student’s academic success and his/her parent’s involvement in the school.  That is why a PTA event, such as this marathon, is ideal for its fundraising initiatives. It is inexpensive to put on, encourages local commitment, and is a whole lot of fun for families! A parent can chose to run in the race, help organize it, or simply donate online and then rally around the parents and teachers who have taken on the challenge.

It is fundraisers and events like this, especially in a place that has experienced such devastation, that are the key ingredients for camaraderie that keep a community strong.

Lusher Mardi Gras Marathon Fundraiser 2008!

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 23rd, 2008 at 12:00 am and is filed under Firstgiving News, Fundraising News, Nonprofit fundraising events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.