Falls Church Education Foundation’s 'Run for the Schools' Draws Over 900 Participants
Need more evidence that the City of Falls Church is the “healthiest community in the United States”?
On a clear, beautiful, and breezy late-summer morning, over 1000 attendees and 900 participants – of all ages and abilities – flooded the tree-lined downtown area near City Hall on Sunday morning, Sept. 15, for the Falls Church Education Foundation’s “20th Annual Run (or walk! or jog! or stroll!) for the Schools.”
“We had 900 participants, and probably 1000 people there, with sponsors, volunteers, and different groups from the schools helping – cheerleaders, bake sale folks, sponsors, and mascots,” Suzanne Hladky, executive director of FCEF told The Falls Church Independent.
“The day was wonderful. We had great weather which always helps on a run, so that was lovely. We had lots of people out there registering on the day-of – I think because of the beautiful weather that helped us out so much – And nobody got hurt, nobody got lost. So, I think that was a success too – we’re happy to hear that! The police were amazing to help us clear the streets and make sure everyone made it through the paths safely and soundly, and back at the finish line. So that was fun!”
And the nonprofit FCEF – with only two paid employees, but plenty of volunteers – pulled out the stops for the 20th anniversary healthful extravaganza. In addition to a race t-shirt, bib, and “swag bag,” volunteers and organizers provided water and granola bars to participants along the course. At the finish line, for “kids (and kids at heart!)” a “moonbounce, face-painting, and family-friendly games” awaited. Cash prizes of $100 for “fastest runners overall” and recognitions in eight age categories, plus “fastest staff members” and “first to finish 5k with a stroller” were also lauded in a grand concluding ceremony.
For participants in the 1-Mile Run/Walk, an alternative course route was provided. Here’s a nicely rendered course map for the event provided by FCEF.
Asked if she participated in the run/walk herself, Hladky replied wryly, “No, I did not participate in the race; I was running the event instead.”
As the event’s Emcee, Hladky – a City resident with several kids of her own in the City’s public school system – was required not only to make announcements for all the groups taking off from the starting line, but for the finishers. “By the time I announce and send the next group on, the first person who crosses over and wins is quickly showing up, so it’s a pretty fast turnaround.”
Since this was the 20th anniversary of the run to raise funds for Falls Church City Public Schools, Hladky asked participants for a showing of hands for how many years they had entered the event. “We did something special this year since it was our 20th. We added a [section] where people could raise their hands if they had run it for 1, 2, 3, and all the way out to 20 years. And we knew that there were [at least] 2 people who had run it all 20… so that’s really special,” she said.
Hladky – who has worked with the Foundation since 2020, but is in only her first year as Executive Director – was particularly pleased with the 16 sponsors for this year’s event. Before running/walking, the “warm-up sponsor,” Alloy Personal Training, led stretch and preparation exercises and, following the event, the “cool-down sponsors,” Vigeo PT, provided “nice stretching and massage tables, with other machines that help,” she said.
So, how much money was raised for Falls Church City Public Schools? “We’re about a little over $40,000, I believe we raised for the event,” Hladky said. “And it’s great! It’s pretty consistent with how much we raise each year. And we use that for our grants, our advance training, and our programs to support Falls Church City Public Schools.”
At the Falls Church Fall Festival the day before, we met Adena Williams, director of development for FCEF at the organization’s information tent, busy signing up registrants for the next day’s “20th Annual Run for the Schools.”
We enquired about the sorts of contributions FCEF makes to the City’s public schools. “All the money raised goes back into Falls Church City Public Schools,” Williams said. “So, we have a couple of big events throughout the year. We do this run for the schools, we have a Golf Scramble in October, and then we do a Gala next May that’s held over at Washington Golf and we funnel the money we raise back into the schools, in the forms of teacher grants, and we do some kind of large scale things that can benefit the most amount of kids.”
FCEF has its own Board of Directors that determines where its contributions will go, but they draw feedback from the schools. “We review applications that come in, for grant applications, or ideas, and then we decide as a board what we think makes the most sense and give it out that way… We go out and we talk to the social workers, we talk to the [school] principals, and we ask what they feel is the most important thing they need to fund…. We [also] do scholarships for [high school] seniors. We manage maybe 20 scholarships.”
While some of FCEF’s contributions demonstrate how wealthy the City’s school system already is, others demonstrate the group’s ongoing mission to address a diversity of student needs. “I think last year, we worked on the weight room and we brought virtual reality into helping the physical therapy for the kids,” Williams said.
“I have four kids who’ve come through Falls Church City Public Schools,” Williams added. “And I love this way of augmenting experiences that the entire school community can benefit from that may not be able to be achieved just through the school budgeting process…. And what I really love about the Foundation is we’re able to help kids across the spectrum, both academically and economically…. That’s part of our mission. So, one of the things we’re most proud of is the Family Assistance Fund. We help families that may need a little bit of assistance with school supplies, or clothing, groceries, etc.”
“We partner with social workers at the school and we know what the needs are. And we do have phenomenal sponsors, like Whole Foods is able to give us money that we can then turn around and funnel into the schools,” Williams continued. “So, we do have some sponsors. And for this run alone we have, I think, 16 sponsors that are helping us out [Proudly shows back of run t-shirt she's wearing]. So, I should be cheerful about that, right? They’re on the back of our shirt!”
Williams then introduced me to one of FCEF’s “wonderful volunteers,” Naomi Stefanova, a junior at George C. Marshall High School in greater Falls Church, sporting her team's Marshal Field Hockey t-shirt.
We asked Stefanova what brought her out to volunteer with FCEF at the Fall Festival. “Well, for school, I’m trying to be part of the National Honor Society, so in order to do that, you have to get 20 service hours, I think, so I’m just trying to reach that quota and do things around the area,” she said.
Even though the funds raised by FCEF will not go to Marshall High School, Stefanova acknowledged that the “Run for the Schools” was a benefit to the community.
“I like 5Ks, especially because they promote being healthy and going out and supporting different organizations in your community,” Stefanova said. “I don’t go to Falls Church City schools, but, yes, I think it’s good for them, of course,” she said.
Perhaps what makes the race such a healthy community event is all the joy it brings. “I think you can just see the smiles of the kids and the adults as they’re crossing the finish line,” Hladky said about the Run for the Schools “I think people love this event. I love that the old and the young show up. I mean, we have over-80s and we have 3-year-olds. We have strollers, we have people that can walk it, and it’s a wonderful event to have everybody come to.”
“We feel very supported by the community and you can see that by the people that show up,” Hladky continued. “I mean, we sold out of all of our t-shirts, and this is the first time we’ve done that, I think. And it’s just a great event. It kicks off the school year. And, I think, it didn’t hurt that we were voted the ‘healthiest community in America’ – I think people wanted to show that we were indeed healthy. So, that’s good.”
For readers interested in donating online to FCEF, go www.fcedf.org/donate.
By Christopher Jones
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