Walk-a-thon tallied nearly $10k this year

CORNWALL — The final numbers are in. The giant checks have been handed over. The official total raised in the ninth annual Cornwall Consolidated School Walk-a-thon (held Oct. 14) is $9,900.That includes pledges raised by walkers, T-shirt sales and a “secret donor” who has made a wonderful habit of offering matching funds as inspiration. The donation this year was $1,500.The walk-a-thon was originally planned as a way for each class to raise most or all of its eighth-grade trip funds. The theory was that, eventually, with nine years of walk-a-thons to add to class accounts, there would be no need to sell brownies or gift wrap, or ask parents to organize an endless stream of spaghetti dinners.The scenario has panned out. This year’s eighth grade is the first class to have nine walk-a-thons under its belt. The class of 2012 has raised $5,975.Soon after the first walk-a-thon was planned, it was decided that half of what was raised would be given as aid to charitable groups and nonprofits. Each year, students nominate and vote on a worthy cause. The trend has been toward dividing the donation between local and more far-flung causes. At a school assembly Dec. 9, a check for $2,604 was given to John Owens of the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. It was presented by Donovan and Noah McCray, whose mother, Jennifer Kenniston, was diagnosed with MS a year ago. Supporting the effort toward a cure has become a cause for Cornwall Consolidated.A check for $2,405 was given to the Cornwall Volunteer Fire Department by students Myah Baird and Hope Carlson, who raised the most pledges individually. It was accepted by student and junior fire department member Mitchell Kosciusko, who was introduced as a “future fire chief” by Principal Michael Croft.