It's hard to imagine children as young as six months participating in a jog-a-thon, but in Waxahachie, Texas, Funday School's annual "Funday Runday" does just that.

"Each student runs a race in our annual Tot Trot," says Krista Bartos, Funday School's director, who also managed the March 2023 event. "And we include ages 6 months through 5 years old."

Funday has a 40-year history in Waxahachie and nearly doubled in size over the past 10 years, with a current student population of 115. However, Bartos didn't let the size of her school limit the fundraiser's success.

"Our overall goal was $40,000 and we collected $46,000," says Bartos. "We are very blessed with lots of community support."

"It's a fun day for the whole family," Bartos adds. "There's chalk, bubbles, bike riding, basketball, and bounce houses. We even have a DJ."

And the fun run isn't just for the kids, Bartos says. "We have a silent auction sponsored by the community and classrooms. We also have a bake sale, which is always a big hit and brings the community together. Teachers, parents and grandparents bake things to sell—we even have a grandma who donates whole cakes and a woman who makes decorative cookies."

On top of fun activities sponsored by the community, every student received a T-shirt that their teachers helped tie-dye with their class colors to encourage participation. "Every kid gets a medal when they cross the finish line," says Bartos.

Bartos knows that when there's a fundraiser, PledgeStar is the way to go. "This was our third year with PledgeStar," she says. "My kids had used it at their elementary school and I really liked the simplicity of it and how easy it was for me to donate to their school."

"We've always had positive feedback," says Bartos of the reception of PledgeStar from her students' parents. "People really like how quick and easy it is to use. They don't always like to ask for donations, especially face-to-face, but with PledgeStar, even if you aren't active on social media, you can easily share it and get donations from people you wouldn't normally ask. Being able to share the fundraiser via text, email, and social media is a great option."

When the Runday rolls around each year, Bartos and her team go all out. "The majority of our prizes are in-house experiences rather than toys that get thrown away," she explains. "We offer a pizza lunch, an after-school movie where students can stay at school an extra hour, and a bounce house activity. Parents really appreciate that."

Perhaps the most popular incentive involves a little humility from Director Bartos: "Any student who raises more than $500 gets to pie me in the face at the run. That's always a big draw," Bartos laughs. "They get really excited to 'pie' their director. We'll definitely continue to use PledgeStar for years to come."