Walk-A-Thon FAQ

Woodridge Elementary 2025 Walk-a-Thon

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Walk-a-thon?

A Walk-a-thon is a long-revered community building event. We are hoping for this to be one of our main annual fundraisers at Woodridge Elementary! The entire school community comes together to collect pledges and donations from family and friends. Those donations can be a single amount or a pledge per lap. During the event everyone will walk laps around the school track, with the PTSA tallying all the laps at the end. Our goal is to raise $300 per student, but we appreciate any amount that you can spare.

When and where is Walk-a-thon?

The Walk-a-thon is on Tuesday October 28th on Woodridge’s field. It will be during school hours from 2:40-3:20.

Can parents or other supporters attend the Walk-a-Thon?

Since the walk-a-thon is taking place during school hours, only students, school staff and volunteers should be present during the event. However, volunteers are greatly needed to make this event a success! Please sign up for volunteer opportunities here!

Does my child need to register to participate?

As the event will be happening during school hours, students do not need to register to participate.
However, we encourage each student and family to collect pledges/donations as part of this event! To get started:

Go to 99 Pledges site (https://app.99pledges.com/fund/WoodridgePTSA), and Search for your Child’s Name in the “Search for Participant” box! This will take you to your child’s Pledge Page.

Don’t see your child’s name? You can add them/create a Pledge Page for them via the “Add a Participant” box near the bottom right of the above link.

Ask your family, friends, and neighbors to help support our community! We are hoping to raise $300 for each student. Supporters can pledge a dollar amount per lap your child completes during the walk-a-thon, or a lump sum donation.

How do I make a donation?

Use your student’s 99 Pledges Walk-A-Thon page to donate (search for your student’s name here to find their Pledge Page)! All donations are 100% tax deductible. You have the option to support one or more specific students, or make a general donation (not in support of any one student) here - this is the best way to make an anonymous donation.

What is the suggested donation?

Our recommended donation is $300 per student. Our fundraising goal for this event is $75,000!

For donors considering a donation pledge amount per lap, we expect our students to complete between 5 and 20 laps during the event.
Donations are tax deductible and eligible for corporate matching so please check with your employer to see if they will match your donations.

What do the funds raised support?

The Bellevue School District’s budget has been in crisis now for the past few years. Schools have been closed and staff have been cut. These budget shortfalls can only be overcome so much with local levies and grants. The remainder can only be solved with fundraising at the school level.
All funds raised directly support Woodridge Elementary students and our school community.
With your support through the Walk-A-Thon, we can continue providing the resources, programs, and experiences that make Woodridge such a special place for our kids.
One of the reasons Woodridge Elementary is a distinguished top school is because of our additional classroom support staff. The PTSA has historically helped fund these assistants, but due to budget cuts, this year we are helping pay for an additional GSA (General School Assistant)
Your donations impact student learning and well-being!

What does my child need to bring to the Walk-a-thon?

Children will be encouraged to wear a specific color to school (along with their grade level) to show their school spirit! Children will also be reminded to bring their water bottles to the event in case they get thirsty from all the walking/running. :)

What if it rains on Walk-a-thon day?

This is the Pacific Northwest! We walk rain or shine, so please send your student(s) to school with appropriate clothing and shoes – including rain gear.

Will kids only be walking, or can they also run, job etc?

We want all students to have fun and go at their own pace! Although the event is called a “walk-a-thon”, kids are welcome to jog, skip, dance or run around the track! :)

How are laps tracked?

Students will be given cards to track their laps during the event, but volunteers are needed to help us mark off laps for students! Please take a look at volunteer opportunities and sign up here.

Are prizes available?

Yes! Every contribution and lap matters!! Prizes will be given to classes in the below categories:

How is participation tracked?

Fundraising participation is tracked via our 99 Pledges fundraising site (https://app.99pledges.com/fund/WoodridgePTSA), and laps will be tallied during the event and communicated afterwards/uploaded to 99 Pledges to complete per-lap pledge donations.

What if my child doesn’t want to participate in the Walk-a-Thon?

Fundraising as part of the walk-a-thon is encouraged but entirely optional. All students will be walking around the field during the event, and encouraged to get as many laps as possible (whether they have been participating in fundraising or not). If your student is not able or willing to walk around the field during this time, there will be a place for them to sit and observe.

How can I help?

It takes a lot of volunteers to make our community events a success! We would love to have you help with setup and mark off student laps among other things! Please see volunteer opportunities here!
General donations (not attached to a particular student) can also be made to the Walk-a-thon fundraiser here.

What happens with the lap cards after the Walk-a-thon?

Students will be asked to give their lap cards to one of the parent volunteers that is marking cards for their class.