Cork school steps up to 'A Million Steps' fundraiser challenge

A CORK City primary school has embarked on a fundraising initiative that involves getting the whole school community active and clocking up the steps.

St Fin Barre’s National School, a mixed school of 100 pupils which has been located in Gillabbey Terrace since 1960, recently launched its fundraising challenge, A Million Steps for St Fin Barre’s.

All members of the school community which includes the students and their families and teachers, will participate in the challenge as they seek to walk 1m steps over the coming weeks.

The parents association came up with the idea to raise funds for the school and to bring families together once again in a safe environment.

School principal Gillian Barry said the students are looking forward to getting their steps in over the coming weeks.

“We have not done any fundraising since the onset of Covid but now that we have a bit more freedom, the parents association came up with this fundraising idea. We are also going for the Active School Flag this year, so it ties in nicely with that,” said Ms Barry.

“There is good excitement in the school. The kids are very much looking forward to getting lots of steps in.”

She said the fundraising event, which commenced this week and is scheduled to run until Sunday, March 13, will also help to re-establish the ‘community vibe’ they had built up prior to the pandemic.

“The kids have been so great during the whole pandemic. We are a small school and we are part of a very tight-knit community. We are missing the community vibe that we had before as we would have had parents in all the time. I think Covid has harmed that quite a bit.

“This concept is a great way of uniting the whole school community. This initiative will involve the whole community and it will get families out walking and exercising. Families are planning on meeting up and doing a few laps of the Lough as they missed out on doing this during Covid. Everyone is going to log their own activity.

“The teachers, the lollipop lady, and even grandparents will also be taking part. There is a lovely atmosphere in the school. People could be doing chores and adding to their steps at the same time. Parents and their children are walking to school and getting as many steps in as possible. It is a fun initiative,” she added.

All the students, from junior infants up to sixth class, will be taking part in the initiative.

“It also ties in with mental health and it is always nice to spend more time with nature. It is vital to get out and get active,” said Ms Barry.