The first Spring Zing 5k was held in April 2003 to raise money to replace our school’s obsolete play equipment. We chose a race as our fundraising vehicle to promote fun, physical fitness and healthy competition. In just two years, we raised enough money to build a safe and enriched playground designed for physical fitness and creative play.

The Spring Zing 5k was hugely popular and helped families to realize the fun and benefit of exercising together, so we decided to host a 3rd year, even though we no longer had an immediate financial need. We thought about how it was only through the generosity of others that we were able to purchase the playground equipment we so desperately needed, and we decided to use our fundraising vehicle as a teaching opportunity for our children. The lesson we sought to teach them was the value of sharing our good fortune and hard work to help others.

Who We've Helped

We developed the motto "Giving Back Locally and Globally" and committed to building a school in Africa. We did it!  You may view pictures of the school on this site.  The school, also called Shady Grove, is in Gare Areara, a farming community in the Dendi district of central Ethiopia. Before the school was built, only 60 percent of children in the district had access to basic education, and that figure was much lower for girls. Building the community-based school in Ethiopia was a tangible means of teaching our children that their compassion and charitable actions can effectively improve the lives of other children half a world away.

The Kids

Our children have benefited from the Spring Zing 5K in more ways than we ever could have imagined. They are empowered with the knowledge that they have improved the lives of others and can become leaders in community service and global activism. In addition to the playground and school in Africa, we have also made sizable donations to our school district’s Wissahickon Educational Opportunities Foundation and the local Mattie Dixon Community Cupboard to start a G.E.D. program.

The kids also appreciate the value of exercise. Many Shady Grove students participate in our Mile Club during recess year-round. Others train in the months leading up to the race. Parent volunteers go to school during recess and run with the kids. We also conduct training sessions on Saturday mornings at a local park with a track. Entire families train together, and most of them run together in the Spring Zing. For many students, siblings and parents, the Spring Zing is their first formal race, and we hope it leads to a lifelong commitment to running.

Shady Grove students also enjoy the school spirit promoted by the Spring Zing, and they are involved in the entire process and kept up-to-date with school-wide assemblies. One of the most valuable features of this event is that it gets students, teachers and families working together. Classes pick team names, design t-shirts, make banners, perform songs, and many other fun activities to build excitement before the race. Classes are awarded points for participation, which includes both students and their families. They get extra points if their teachers run, too!

Recognition for our Efforts

Further, our award-winning race has received local and national recognition. It was featured in the September 2005 issue of Runner’s World in an article about eradicating childhood obesity. The school’s physical fitness program received the American Running Association’s Youth Fitness Honor Award in June 2005. We have been featured on both local news broadcasts and the nationally televised Comcast Sports Network, as well as well as having several glowing  articles written about us in the Philadelphia Inquirer and several local newspapers.

All of the positive exposure has helped the event to grow in size each year. In 2008, we had more than 500 registered runners for the 5k and an additional 300 participants in the 1-mile walk. Those numbers don’t include all of the friends, family and faculty who come out to volunteer or cheer for the athletes! After the race we have live music, entertainment, great prizes and a food court, all donated by sponsors who want to help make the event a memorable one for participants. Is it any wonder we’re so proud of our school and its students?!