On April 24th boys and girls weightlifting as well as the football team participated in the annual Lift-A-Thon. During the fundraiser many around the school came to lift and many came to support the lifters. This charity event was set in place to raise money for the football team with a set goal of $200 per person. Donors could pick between either donating a set amount of money of their choice or they could donate a certain number of cents to be multiplied by the total weight the student lifted in both lifts, power clean and bench.
As the team is lifting for a purpose one of the boys talks about his experience, Grant Wise, 11, “I've been fortunate enough to participate in the last three lift-a-thons. One of my favorite memories is breaking the school record for this year and last year. Since I'll be a senior next year it was my last time participating because seniors don't lift. When getting ready to lift I make sure to listen to heavy metal music since it really helps me,” Wise says. As the event went on, we had multiple participants ranging from freshman to juniors. Fellow lifters enjoy this event because it gives them a chance to reconnect with each other.
As the event moved forward, we obtained more input about the lifters experience, like Will Stallworth, 11. “One reason I enjoy partaking in lift-a-thon is because everyone comes together and bonds as a team and lifts each other up and encourages each other,” Stallworth says. As the participants in the event continued to lift, nearly everyone accomplished a personal milestone of hitting a new pr. Many of our patriot lifters enjoy this kind of event because it gives them a chance to show off for family and friends.
One of the patriot boys talks about his favorite part of lift-a-thon, Mason Mathis,11, “My favorite part of weightlifting and taking part in this fundraiser is being able to lift weights, it's my favorite activity because I can bench 405lbs,” Mathis says. At the end of the event the students ended up raising $10,000 altogether, allowing for growth and success in their programs.