Our Lady of Lourdes School held its first annual Lions Dash run-a-thon to raise money for a new artificial turf field where kids can play soccer, baseball, kickball and all of those great games that are best played on grass. Anyone who has tried sliding into third base on asphalt can attest that – ouch – it hurts! The school decided it was time for a grassy play area and the Lions Dash was born. 

Kids from TK-eighth grade ran the track as parents, grandparents and friends cheered them on. Many of the students had dollars pledged based on the number of laps they ran; the more laps, the more dollars. And, boy, did they run! With a goal of $30,000, these kids and families raised over $52,000!

Incredible prizes were awarded to highest-earning kids, teachers and families, so the incentives were strong. Kids reached out to family and friends from all over, which made the numbers keep going up. Principal Evelyn Cortes expressed a “great appreciation for the donors and organizers of this successful event!”

Our Lady of Lourdes provides classes for students in pre-K through eighth grade. For more information, visit www.ollschooltujunga.org. Those who would like a tour can call (818) 353-1106. Hopefully a grassy field will soon be a part of the tour!

Submitted by Sonya MARQUEZ