Walkathon, What is it? 

Walkathon is the Landels PTA’s major fundraiser each year. This year, the Walkathon is on Friday, October 24, 2025, from 1-6pm.  Students and their families will collect donations in advance of the event via our online fundraising platform. You’ll receive an email from the fundraising platform when it’s time to get started.

PTA buys every student and staff member a special, free Walkathon T-shirt. Friends and Family are given the opportunity to purchase a shirt, online or at the event while supplies last.

Walking starts during the school day so that every student can be included. All students are encouraged to come back to the field to continue walking after school, with a responsible adult.

The PTA will help motivate the students with contests and prizes related to fundraising goals and number of laps walked.

Fundraising and Donations

Prior to the event, students gather sponsors who pledge per lap or a flat donation (i.e., fixed dollar amount) for their efforts.  Please encourage your child to collect pledges.

We have an easy to use online platform for donations, which allows you to share your student’s donation page around the world.  It's called 99Pledges.

What is 99Pledges?
99Pledges is our online pledge system (link coming soon).  You’ll receive an email to access your student’s personal fundraising page. This system will allow our students to request and collect donations from friends, family and neighbors who would like to sponsor a student online with a credit card.  Each child can create a custom video or image and share their personal web page with potential donors via email or social media.  Donors simply click the link and make a pledge in a few easy steps.  Grown ups and students can monitor progress toward their fundraising goals and easily send thank-you emails from the site.  99Pledges is private and secure, so no one can access your child’s page unless they have your unique URL.                  

Should I use online 99Pledges, the paper Pledge Form, or both to collect pledges?
It’s completely up to you and what works best for your friends and family members.  If a donor wants to pay with a credit card, they need to make that donation online. If a donor wants to give you cash or a check, you need to turn those pledges in with a paper Pledge Form, which you can pick up at the main office. Please turn in your paper pledge form before the Walkathon so that we can track your fundraising efforts.

We will have participation and fundraising challenges to help encourage our students to ask for pledges and to generate excitement.

Why support the Walkathon?
The money we raise directly supports our school. The funds are used to support Field Trips, Assemblies, Classroom supplies, Playworks and more.  Please get involved: help your student collect pledges, volunteer, make a donation and attend the event!

Volunteers

Volunteers are critical to the event’s success.  Interested individuals can sign up in advance to help for specific roles and time slots, via our Konstella sign up form (Watch Konstella for an email kicking off sign ups).  

All volunteers will first sign in at the main office on the day of the walkathon if they will be on campus during the school day. They will also check in at the PTA Volunteer table to get a volunteer vest, instructions and assignment.  

Volunteers can show up the day of and check in with the volunteer coordinator to see if there are any last-minute needs.

Walkathon Course

The general walkathon course will be a ⅕ mile loop on the Landels field.  Entry and Exit of the course will take place near the 3rd base side of the baseball field.  

There will be an additional walking route for Kinder, TK and Rm 22 and friends on the blacktop.  After school, these friends are welcome to walk on the field with their grown up. 

The gopher holes on the field are a serious hazard and care should be taken when on the field.

Students typically get more exercise at the walkathon than what they normally do. Please have them start hydrating and fueling their bodies properly a few days before, and remind them to bring and use their water bottles during the event.

Lap Prize Process

Students will be encouraged to take a break after every 5 completed laps to stop and pick up a prize.  

Lap prizes stop at 50 Laps. Please note that 5 laps on the field = 1 mile, so help your student to stay safe by suggesting water and snack breaks and make sure they don’t over-exert themselves.

Concessions and Food

Food trucks will arrive on campus after school and be available until the end of the Walkathon.

PTA Concessions and Gear Sale will start after school and will have snacks, Pizza and Landels Gear available for sale including extra walkathon shirts while supplies last.

Timeline

3 Weeks Before: Fundraising Email Goes out to participant families, Announcement of Fundraising and Participation Contests to Students

  • If your family doesn’t receive the email with a link to your student’s fundraising page, reach out to walkathon@landelspta.org

Day Of:

  • T-Shirt distribution from PTA to students in classrooms

    • Classes as per normal; lots of volunteers on campus setting up the field and decorations

  • 1 PM Kinder & TK Walk with Their Teachers

    • 1pm Quick Welcome from PTA and start walking

    • 1:20 Students return to classrooms to prepare for dismissal. Teachers take an end of school day lap count for walkathon tracking purposes.

    • 1:45 Kinder & TK Regular Dismissal from School

    • 1:50 Kinder & TK Students can return with a responsible grown-up or their aftercare programs

      • Adults on campus before the end of the school day (2:55pm) must bring ID or volunteer badge to sign in at the main office. 

      • If volunteering, after you sign in at office, check in at PTA volunteer check-in table to see where we may need some help

  • Grades 1-5 Walk with Teachers 1:45-2:30

  • 2:30 Course Break!  

    • All walkers EXIT the course via the Course Exit.

    • TK & Kinders should use the time as a water and snack break.

    • Grades 1-5 Students will return to their classroom for regular dismissal

  • 2:40 (if course has been fully cleared) Kinders are welcome to start walking again

  • 2:50/2:55 Grades 1-5 Regular School Dismissal and post-school walking begins for students with a signed PTA participation waiver and a responsible adult present.

    • Volunteers can stop by the PTA volunteer check-in table to see what needs we have or sign up for a time slot in advance on Konstella.

  • 4 pm  - If there’s any Fundraising-related activity, this will happen here.

  • 6PM Walkathon and DJ End

  • Clean up!

After Walkathon:

  • Fundraising ends and online funds will be automatically collected from 99pledges; offline pledges should be turned in before November 5th, but ideally before the walkathon starts to be eligible for pre-walkathon fundraising contests. You’re more than welcome to continue to collect pledges until 99 Pledges closes out on or around Nov 5.

  • Status to Fundraising Goal will be announced.

  • Any earned prizes for participation contests will be redeemed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can we bring family members? 
Absolutely! We encourage you to come, have fun and support Landels. We’ll need lots of volunteers and we also encourage alumni, friends and family to come after school to help cheer for our students.

What’s this about a t-shirt? 
Each year for the walkathon, the PTA purchases a walkathon t-shirt for every staff member and student. We also offer additional shirts for sale while supplies last, which we love to see friends and family wear.  You also might want to purchase a t-shirt as a thank you gift to your biggest donors.  

For real, you want us to ask people for sponsorship?
If we meet our fundraising goals, this will be the only big fundraiser we will do this year. 

Our goal is $60,000.  

We encourage our students to get out there and talk about the walkathon, their school, and why this event is important to them.  It’s a little scary for some kids to go door-to-door, but they can also print our form letter, or write out a personalized request and drop it at doors or mailboxes.  

Please encourage your students to write thank you notes for all donations.  

Let PTA know if you or your sponsors need a tax receipt.