When parent volunteer Amy Crookston noticed a PledgeStar online fundraising sign hanging at a neighboring elementary school, she thought it might be something interesting to look into for her own kids’ school. She contacted PTO members for their experiences with the company. One year later, when when she added PledgeStar and their Walk-A-Thon doubled the amount of money it had raised in the past, she was glad she did.

Eagle Hills Elementary School in Idaho raised over $20,000 in their Walk-A-Thon with the help of the PledgeStar online fundraising system. They were able to allot twice as much money for their playground equipment.

“We are already having conversations about what we can do next year,” Crookston said, “The system was really well received and we wished we had used it earlier.”

Last year, before adding PledgeStar, only about one third of the six hundred students at Eagle Hills raised money during their annual Walk-A-Thon. And, while Crookston recognized that many families are unable to contribute, she boasted that over half of the student population contributed when they implemented the online system this year.

“Anybody that tries it loves it,” she said, “it is so easy to use.”

The Walk-A-Thon had a simple premise: walk as long as you can for as much money as you can. Children started their laps at 2:30 pm, one hour before school was dismissed, and many chose to stay through to the end of the event at 5:30 pm. Crookston’s own son walked a total of sixteen miles in three hours, raising over $500 for the cause. Other children raised over a thousand dollars doing the same, totaling over $20,000 when the event was over.

“PledgeStar’s staff is fantastic,” Crookston recounted, “administration is super simple and our parents loved how easy it was. It’s just a great addition to our Walk-A-Thon.”