State Superintendent Congratulates Blue Ribbon Schools

Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia I. Wright extended congratulations today to the principals, faculty and students of nine Virginia schools that received 2010 U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School Awards.

“These schools serve very different communities, but at the center of each is a principal whose leadership and commitment to excellence bring out the best in both teachers and students,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia I. Wright said in congratulating the award-winning schools.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan presented Blue Ribbon School flags and plaques to seven Virginia public school principals including Dave Michener from Lincoln Elementary, during a ceremony today in Washington.

All seven public schools were honored earlier this year under the Virginia Index of Performance incentive program for exceeding state and federal accountability standards and achieving excellence goals established by the governor and Board of Education.

Bellevue Elementary, Lincoln Elementary and Patrick Springs Elementary earned the Governor’s Award for Educational Excellence; Cleveland Elementary, Grafton Bethel Elementary and Highland High earned the Board of Education Excellence Award; and Eureka Elementary earned the Board of Education Competence to Excellence Award.

The principals of two private schools in Northern Virginia also received Blue Ribbon School flags and plaques during today’s ceremony:

• Carol Krichbaum, Saint Theresa School, Diocese of Arlington
• Barbara Dalmut, Saint Ambrose Catholic School, Diocese of Arlington

The Blue Ribbon Schools Program was established in 1982 to spotlight the country’s highest achieving public and private schools and schools that are making significant progress in raising the achievement of disadvantaged and minority students. Public schools are nominated by state superintendents and private schools are nominated by the Council for American Private Education.

A Victorian Ball!

December 19, 2010 –better known as 1860, at least in the world of Loudoun Valley High School’s History Club.

“Victorian Ball is History Club’s recreation of a 19th-century ball. It’s a way for members to experience the etiquette and characteristics of the Victorian era,” said History Club Treasurer Courtney Coombs, a senior.

History Club members who wish to participate in Victorian Ball must pay a small fee and attend dance and etiquette sessions to help set the Victorian mood on the night of the dance.

“Those interested in Victorian Ball must attend one dance practice and one etiquette training session. In addition, they must pay a fee of $25. It is expected that members attend in period costumes that can be purchased, rented, or self-tailored,” said President Kate Babcock, also a senior.

In order to recreate the Victorian era, the History Club rents out a period building and decorates it accordingly. This year, Victorian Ball will be held at Buchanan Hall, located in Upperville, Virginia, and will be a Christmas-themed masquerade.

“Dance instructors are brought in to teach students period dances such as the waltz. Music is provided by a group which plays instrumental pieces. Costumes, decorations, and etiquette allow our members to go back in time,” Babcock said.

Given the economic times, History Club officers are trying to cut down on the members’ expenses as much as possible.

“Currently, we’re finding inexpensive ways to make the costumes, which will be taught at our optional costume workshop,” Babcock said.

Practices for Victorian Ball will begin on November 9th and be held on various dates leading up to the dance.

“We currently have around thirty people interested in Victorian Ball, so we feel confident that people are still up to the challenge [of paying, attending practices and assembling the proper costumes],” said Babcock.

Lauren Pichon is a senior at Loudoun Valley High School. She is involved in the History Club and school newspaper and hopes to pursue a career in print journalism.

Loudoun Valley Volleyballers Raise Cancer Awareness

This fall 2010, thousands of teams from around the country will be participating in the Dig Pink National Breast Cancer Awareness Rally. High School and College teams will be promoting Breast health education in the community as well as raising funds to help eradicate Breast Cancer.

On Thursday, September 30 at 6:00 p.m. Dig Pink attendees will watch the girls compete on the court while contributing to breast health awareness by making a statement and wearing something PINK in the stands. Before, during and after the volleyball match there will be many special events such as a bake sale and a Tropical Smoothie sale.

The proceeds from all donations will benefit the Side-Out Foundation.

Good Shepherd Alliance Appoints Two Local Seniors to Board

Carleigh Wrobel (Stone Bridge) and Maryjacqueline Fox (Freedom) are high school seniors selected to the 2010/2011 Good Shepherd Alliance (GSA) Board of Directors. The young ladies will have full voting privileges and serve on the GSA outreach committee working shoulder to shoulder with the Board of Directors to promote GSA homeless services and programs in all twelve Loudoun County High Schools.

The seniors were selected from a group of very robust candidates based on criteria that included volunteerism in social services, proven organizational skills and a passion to plan and initiate programs that involve high school youth in serving the needs of our indigent and homeless population.

GSA collaborated with School Superintendent Dr. Edgar B. Hatrick, Anne Lewis LCPS Director of Student Services and Marilyn Jackson Supervisor of Guidance Services to solicit resumes from each Loudoun County high school. A team of GSA board members led by Youth Director Steve D ‘Argenio reviewed the rising senior candidates and then conducted interviews. Carleigh Wrobel and Maryjacqueline Fox were selected based on their ability to network with student organizations, youth groups and community newsletters. Both students have presented strong verbal, written and team building skills. Individual responsibility and leadership were also factors in the decision making process.

Carleigh is a seventeen-year-old resident of Ashburn and a senior at Stone Bridge High School. She is also a Level 10 gymnast and will be attending The College of William and Mary in the fall of 2011 and competing on their gymnastics team. Carleigh would like to pursue a career in microfinance or in another area that encourages the development of third-world countries. She attends Crossroads United Methodist Church in Ashburn.

Maryjacqueline is a sixteen-year-old South Riding resident and a senior at Freedom High School. She plans to attend Franciscan University in Ohio in the fall of 2011 and study Early Childhood Education. Maryjacqueline would like to pursue a career in elementary school education. She attends Corpus Christi Catholic Mission in South Riding and participates in a youth group at St. Timothy’s parish in Chantilly.

GSA welcomes Carleigh and Maryjacqueline to our board and acknowledges the two seniors will create a synergy in our local high schools and encourage more students to become champions for the homeless and near homeless in their respective communities.

To learn more about how your school can partner with the Good Shepherd Alliance Youth Committee; contact GSA Board Chair Mark Gunderman at gunderman2001@aol.com or Youth Director Steven D’Argenio at 703-989-0140 or at nvflag@sprynet.com.

Smart Back to School Shopping Tips for Families

By Lori Mackey, an i-Parenting award-winning author, speaker, mother of two teens and founder of http://www.Prosperity4Kids.com

Back to school means seeing friends, catching up and wearing new clothes, which is fun and exciting for kids, but for parents Back-to-School shopping, planning and scheduling can be stressful. If you plan ahead, and involve your children in the process, you will save money and have the opportunity to teach some valuable life skills such as – financial know-how, time management and successful work habits.

These tips will make the transition from summer ease to a successful school year as simple as possible.

Plan and Make a List

Spending is easy but to save money takes a plan. First thing first, make a list of supplies and clothing needed for school, and then create a second list of wants.

Take inventory

Go through clothing, and supplies separating what stays and what goes. Make a list of needs, which you will buy and wants, which will take a back seat for now.

Make it Fun

Go on a scavenger hunt around the house to find any leftover supplies from last year, then, check those off your list and voila you just saved money. Practice this with clothing, shoes and accessories and you will be amazed on what you really don’t need. Set a budget with you new list, use cash and don’t forget your coupons.

Have a plan

Limits should be set before you head out the door. It’s fine to say I have $100 to spend this week, and help your child spend it wisely. Limits should be set before you head out the door. It’s fine to say I have $100 to spend this week, and help your child spend it wisely.

Pass it along

Take the items that you have set aside and pass it along to a charitable organization. Teaching your child to give to others builds character and appreciation for what they have.

Routine, Routine, Routine

Creating good habits can be easier than you think; by putting a routine in place you can turn a daily chore into a good habit. In the prefect world your kids will wake up on time, eat and be ready for school. But, if that’s unlikely, creating a visual daily chart with what is expected in the morning, after school and before bed will give your child the structure they need to create successful habits.

Rewards

Ever wonder how one teacher can control 30 kids? Rewards! Kids love rewards, and kids love a challenge. Set up a reward system at home and allow your child to attain rewards for success.

Spread it out

Children live in a world of instant, fast, got to have it now! Children do not know what delayed gratification means. Spread out the back to school purchases out over several weeks or months if possible.

Setting Goals with Allowance

You can implement and allowance system, which will allow your kids to earn money for the items on their – wants – list. Allowance can help you and your kids become consistent with what is expected on a daily routine. When kids succeed at goals, and finishing a job they feel a sense of pride accomplishment. Set your kids up for success and everyone wins.

What Summer Vacation?

School is finally over. It’s time for the lazy, care-free days of summer to begin. Or is it? Many high school students will spend their summers trying to complete various summer assignments for AP courses and trying to better prepare themselves for college. We might as well just continue going to school!

The last day of school was June 18 and in the few days I have been out, I have spent the majority of my time beginning to brain storm my college application essays. Since I am a rising senior, I am downloading applications, and preparing for my interview at the College of William and Mary. I know that if I do not accomplish these things now, I will be behind when I go back to school in the fall, especially because I will be unable to work on things for three weeks when I am on a mission trip in China.

While not all rising seniors are spending their summer working on college applications, and not all students take AP classes, a good number do and for them, time management is crucial. The school schedule plays a factor as well. Due to Kings Dominion law, county school boards are unable to decide when their school year should start. By legislative edict, classes must begin after Labor Day. This is because the tourism industry wanted older students to be available to work at places such as King’s Dominion, because teenage labor is vital to the economic success of the park, as it is inexpensive to hire teens and their assistance is readily available. Because of Kings Dominion Law, Loudoun County Public Schools are starting later than the majority of the United States, and thus they have less time to prepare for the AP Exams and other standardized tests that are administered as early as May.

Since school is starting later, AP teachers do not have as much time to cover the material that will be on the AP Exam. For this reason, students are often expected to complete a summer assignment to jump start the school year. For example, AP English Literature students are expected to annotate Lady Windermere’s Fan and keep a dialectical journal for Jane Eyre. AP U.S. History students have to read Paul Revere’s Ride by David Hackett Fischer and write an analytical essay based on their readings. While not every AP class has a summer assignment, the majority do. Students taking multiple AP classes certainly have their work cut out for them.

Clearly, students have their work cut out for them this summer, especially if they are trying to squeeze in vacations, college visits, and volunteer work. For many, summer may not turn out to be a break after all.

Valley Teacher Will Spend Year Abroad

As the school year comes to a close, students and teachers are giving much thought to summer plans, and, more importantly, next school year. With the opening of Woodgrove High School, many students and teachers will be in a new unfamiliar setting, but few will get to spend the school year in a foreign country, immersed in culture. This is just what U.S. History and International Relations teacher Kent Bailey will be doing as he prepares to travel to Hungary to spend the 2010-2011 school year. … Continue Reading

Anti-Prom 2010

With the end of the school year fast approaching, Loudoun Valley students’ days are filled with sports practices, studying for AP Exams, and various other extracurricular activities. Despite their busy schedules, however; students still find time to have fun, and one event that many students have been looking forward to is the junior-senior prom.

This year, prom will be held on May 22 from 8:00 -12:00 p.m. at the National Conference Center in Lansdowne. Tickets went on sale on April 19th, and started at $55 for juniors and $50 for seniors. These prices will remain the same up until April 30th, at which point, they will increase to $60 for juniors and $55 for seniors. On the week of May 10, ticket prices will once again increase to $65 for juniors and $60 for seniors. Ticket prices will be raised for the final time on the week of prom, at which point they will be $75 for juniors and seniors respectively.

Due to the high cost of prom tickets, many students are hesitant to purchase prom tickets, especially when they take into account other costs, including the appropriate attire, boutonnieres and corsages, and the cost of dinner should they choose to go out to dinner before or after the dance. Because of all of these expenses, many students are coming up with various “anti-prom” alternatives, including laser tagging and cosmic bowling. Purcellville Baptist Church is even working to arrange a chaperoned anti-prom dance that would be held at the church. The dance would still require formal attire, however; it would not be nearly as expensive, and there, of course, would be no rave dancing or grinding, which commonly takes place at school-sponsored dances. This kind of dancing is another factor in students’ decisions on whether or not to attend prom, as many students are uncomfortable in such an environment.

In an effort to make everyone’s dance experiences more enjoyable, Loudoun Valley has been considering a new arm-band system to control the inappropriate dancing that goes on at school-sponsored dances. In order to control students’ dancing, students will each be given a certain color armband when they check in at the dance. Should they be caught dancing in a way that offends others, they will receive a different colored armband so that the faculty can monitor them more closely. With prom in the near future, many students are strongly opposed to this proposed new system, while still others are in favor. As of right now, however; the new system is far from solidified and is still being considered by the faculty.

Despite juniors and seniors’ anticipation for prom, there has certainly been controversy concerning the proposed armband system. Also, in light of the economic recession, students are hesitant to spend $50 or more on a prom ticket. Together, these two factors are playing a large role in students’ decisions to go to prom, and more and more students are considering having their own “anti-prom” gatherings.

Blood Drive At Loudoun Valley High School

After much planning and organization the March 19 blood drive at Loudoun Valley, which was sponsored by the National Honor Society (NHS) and the American Red Cross, commenced without any glitches and many lives may have been saved thanks to these efforts.

“We had a basic interest meeting showing that we’d be interested in the blood drive. I volunteered and then the NHS members voted on who would organize the blood drive,” said junior Henry Benitez, who was one of four NHS members to help coordinate the blood drive.

The coordinators of the blood drive were responsible for making posters advertising the drive, collecting peoples’ permission slips, and setting up appointments for the donors.

“We signed people up a couple weeks in advance, we made posters, and handed out flyers. We were hoping to get at least 100 kids and a few teachers to help donate blood,” said junior Casey Crouse, who also helped coordinate the blood drive.

As the blood drive approached, NHS members began to think that they may not achieve the goal of 100 students, however, students came through, and on the day of the blood drive, more people showed up than were expected.

“We got about 90 kids to sign up and a few more decided to come the day of the drive, which was really nice,” Crouse said.

Despite the fact that nearly 100 students wanted to donate blood, some students were turned away due to new health restrictions set forth by the American Red Cross.

“We actually had a lot of deferrals for either low iron or insufficient weight and height,” said junior Amy Armentrout, who helped Crouse and Benitez organize the blood drive.

Despite the numerous deferrals, the Red Cross drive was still extremely successful, and NHS members are anticipating another successful blood drive in the fall.

“I see this as a learning experience for next time…we will be better prepared, and if it’s the same volunteers with me, then it will be perfect. We’ll know what to do,” Benitez said.

Crouse added “I feel like now that we’ve ironed out all the problems we’ve had with this one, just little things, that we’ll do even better next year. I think we’re going to shoot a little higher and start a little earlier.”

Armentrout went on to say “I think giving blood is a really great thing to do. It’s not like you can give money or something, someone has to give it.”

The History Club at Loudoun Valley

On March 19 and 20 the History Club at Loudoun Valley will board the bus to travel back in time to 1859, the year of John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Each year, the History Club holds its annual John Brown weekend, a time in which participants reenact John Brown’s infamous raid on Harpers Ferry.

John Brown was a white abolitionist from Kansas who led an armed slave revolt by raiding the United States Arsenal at Harpers Ferry. Twenty-one men, some white and some African American, participated in the raid, which is regarded by many modern day historians to be a catalyst of the Civil War. During John Brown Weekend, participants each take on the role of one of Brown’s raiders and are expected to know his background information based on documents that were provided to them by the History Club.

On Friday night, participants gather at Loudoun Valley and ride to nearby Morven Park to discuss the life of John Brown, his reasons for raiding Harpers Ferry, and gain a deeper understanding of slavery. Following this discussion, participants begin a tour of historic Harpers Ferry in order to gain an appreciation of the logistics and strategic planning that went into the raid before reenacting it. Students then go home for the evening and assemble at Valley the next morning to continue their tour.

On Saturday, participants continue to tour Harpers Ferry and the surrounding areas, such as Kennedy Farm, where John Brown and his men stayed prior to the raid. Participants also introduce their individual raiders and discuss their lives and why they decided to join Brown. At night fall, students are paired off to begin the reenactment. The bus drives the students to a location where they can sneak in along the toe path of the Shenandoah River. Spacing each pair out so they cannot see each other, everyone begins inching across the toe path, dodging whatever cars may be in sight. As participants walk across the bridge, they arrive at the arsenal, where a candle is lit to symbolize the life of their raider. Sitting in the dark arsenal, the story of each raider and their death is read aloud and their candle is symbolically blown out.

John Brown Weekend is a very unique experience for the few people that have the opportunity to attend. Participants will experience history in ways they never thought possible and, perhaps for the first time, really understand “the whoa effect” when they are sneaking in along the banks of the Shenandoah River, in a time warp, where everything seems to stand still.

Leesburg Celebrates the Arts

On Friday, February 26 and Saturday, February 27 Heritage hosted an art show for all of the schools that feed into Heritage, as well as the high school itself. At the event students were able to show off their hard work, which covered the halls and cafeteria.

A wide variety of art was on display including sculptures, paintings, weavings, and pottery, all of which had been created by local students. Along with the art, the Heritage choirs sang on Friday followed by Saturday performances from the bands and guitar soloists, allowing the guests to enjoy a variety of entertainment.

The art presented at the event truly showed the diverse and talented ability of the Leesburg students. A variety of styles and mediums were represented at the show, demonstrating the high quality art program at Heritage and other schools in the area.

The event itself was an attempt to remind the community that the arts are important and should not be cut out nor ignored, as funding becomes more and more of a problem.

With the tightening budget of the school system, some fear that electives such as art will be removed, due to the fact that they are not “core” subjects and could be seen as less academic, therefore not necessary. With this in mind, donations were accepted, though not required at the art show.

Economic stress has affected every aspect of the school system, and programs geared toward creative development have not been spared. Still, the arts are not expendable, because they allow students to express themselves through different mediums and promote personal growth.

Often, all it takes for a person to find their passion is a high school music or art class. The view that these classes are superfluous could harm their future and eventually lead to their end.

One aspect of the show emphasized the importance of art classes. It showed the development of an artist from a very young age to college-bound students, some of whom are entering college to study the very subject whose future is in jeopardy at their high school.

The range of ages demonstrated how art is not something fleeting, but can remain central to any student’s development, both artistically and intellectually. While many students who have excelled in art at high school may leave their skills behind, the growth associated with these programs cannot be so easily shed.

Skye Young, a senior at Heritage High School, displays her work in the gallery.

Loudoun's talented students display their work at Heritage High School.

Summer Options for Students

Missions trips to China or Haiti, attending Pre-College at Brown University, or Governor’s School, are options that high school students have to occupy their summers. With the end of February fast approaching, students are beginning to think about summer plans, and are in the process of filling out applications and attending interviews to turn these choices into reality.

There are a plethora of various summer activities that students can choose to attend, whether it be summer camp, or a college-level class for which the students earn college credit, such as the Pre-College program at Brown University, and the Pre-Collegiate Program at the College of William and Mary, which specializes in early American history and is sponsored by the National Institute of American History and Democracy (NIAHD.) One ultra-competitive program that does not grant college credit is Governor’s School, a month-long summer program for gifted students where they can go to take specialized courses in Humanities, Visual and Performing Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Technology, Engineering and Marine Science, Agriculture, Life Sciences and Medicine, and Foreign Language from various teachers and professors in the state. Each of these schools is held on a different college campus, and, though they are not in partnership with the college, Governor’s School students get a good feel for college life and academics. Like the college application process, the application process for programs such as these is both complicated and competitive, often including an essay, a teacher or guidance counselor’s recommendation, and of course, a look at the student’s high school transcript.

While some students choose to apply for competitive summer programs at various colleges and institutions, still others have chosen to give to others and go on a mission trip. This summer, Purcellville Baptist Church (PBC) will be taking a group of approximately twenty-five teenagers to China to teach conversational English to Chinese youth. While the location is still being determined, it is most likely that the team will stay in Jinan, China, with a population of 4.5-5 million people. PBC will also be sending teams to Haiti and Lost Creek, Kentucky. While both of these mission trips are open to youth, the China trip is specifically the “youth mission trip” for the second year in a row. In Haiti, the team will be assisting with reconstruction from the earthquake and will also be providing some medical and dental services, as the team will hopefully consist of people with some medical training including doctors, nurses, and dentists. The Kentucky team will be continuing the restoration of building and grounds that they began last year at Lost Creek’s private Christian school. While an application and interview are required to go on a mission trip, it is a spiritual rather than academic evaluation, and many teens feel ready to accept the challenge.

With so many opportunities to choose from over the summer, students have to carefully weigh how prepared they are, whether it be for a pre-college program, a mission trip, or even a summer job. With all of these options, students sometimes have a hard time identifying what would benefit them the most, both academically and personally, especially in a society where these new programs can help with acceptance into a college.

Blizzard Blog

“I heard it’s going to snow three feet!” “Don’t jinx it!” Comments like these filled the hallways at Loudoun Valley throughout the week of the second and sixth in anticipation of the upcoming blizzard. On Thursday, students sat in their eighth block classes, anxiously awaiting the ringing of the final bell. It was slightly before this bell rang, however, that Ms. Ross, the principal of Loudoun Valley, announced that students were to take all of their books home so they could keep up with the assignments that would be posted online in the event that school was cancelled the next day, and into the next week due to the blizzard.

About an hour later, the phones were ringing with the message that Loudoun County Public Schools would be closed on Friday, February 5, due to the impending snow storm. Students were overjoyed, though no one had anticipated that we would get as much snow as was called for. The snow began around 10:00 a.m. on Friday. Leesburg stores were mobbed, not only with people stocking up for the storm, but also for Superbowl Sunday. People began loading up on food and various sources of entertainment, all anticipating being snowed in for some time. The snow fell off on Friday, but by Saturday morning, people were waking up to a shiny, white wonderland, and still more was on the way.

On Saturday morning, neighbors stumbled out the door with shovels in hand, all attempting to uncover the sidewalk and dig out their cars. The snow plows made their way through the neighborhood, but to no avail. The snow could not be moved, and worse, there was nowhere to move it to. Dogs waddled around, the snow above their heads. As I dragged my 5’ 5” self outside, I sunk deeper and deeper, with the snow coming way above my knees in some areas. The snow was still falling continuously.

As the snow fall continued later into Saturday, it was announced that Loudoun County Public Schools would also be closed on Monday and Tuesday, February 8 and 9. Some teachers are planning on communicating with their students in hopes that they will not get too far behind. With AP exams and Standards of Learning (SOL) tests on the horizon, all taking place in May, teachers are beginning to cram for these exams, and prepare students for them in whatever ways possible. Though students are happy to have time off school, many fear that they will get too far behind in their studies due to all the snow. With the pressure to perform well on these tests already quite high, the snow is certainly not helping by taking away instructional time.

Though the pressure on these exams is high, students would still rather have a snow day than go to school. Many students, though, would rather go to school than be stranded at home with nothing to do. For now, though, the hope is that it will stop snowing long enough to finish shoveling the driveway.

Walking in Their Shoes

As people enter the gates of Loudoun Valley High School’s track they hand over a pair of used shoes and begin to walk around the track—barefoot—along with others similarly shoeless. This is the sight that Valley’s International Service Club hopes to witness on May 15 for their project, The Barefoot Mile.

The International Service Club board, made up of President Maggie Gutierrez, Vice President Jessica Carr, Secretary Zanny Ludtke, and Treasurer Tess Warner, is heading the project. They have been working together to make the event possible after they first heard the idea to send shoes to impoverished Kenyans.

“The Barefoot Mile is an event where people come and, instead of paying with money, pay with shoes, as many pairs as they want. They walk a mile around the track barefoot to see how those people in Africa live,” said Gutierrez, who explained that they got the idea when they watched a video in their church’s youth group meeting about a high school student, Jamie Colman, who started the event at her school and received over 4,000 shoes.

Shoes are not a typical item thought of for charitable donation, however they were something that the board felt is often overlooked as a necessity.

Ludtke said that not having shoes “can cause different foot diseases and it can really impair their life because they can’t get around.”

One of the advantages to this event is the replacement of a required monetary donation, with the more specific donation of shoes, which most people would be likely to have an extra pair of lying around their houses.

Carr said “All they have to do is bring one pair of shoes: It doesn’t cost anything. Everyone should try to come; it’s a great cause. We’re really trying to make a difference.”

While it may not cost anything for those who want to walk, the cost of sending a flat rate box of shoes, approximately $56 according to Carr, will be the greatest expense for the event.

To raise money to ship the shoes Carr explained that International Service Club members will be sent out to go to local businesses, she said “They ask the business if they would be willing to donate a little bit of money… we’re trying to make it pretty personal.”

Not only is the board trying to get businesses to donate money, but they are also currently trying to find businesses that would be willing to provide additional support at the event itself.

“We’re trying to get different businesses to come and bring refreshments and play music,” said Carr. While none of the board stated any definite contributors, Tropical Smoothie was mentioned as a possible source for refreshments.

The suggested date of this event, while currently not finalized, happens to fall on Heritage day, which has been taken into account by the board.

“I think it’ll help… because people will come out to Heritage day anyway so they’ll be more inclined to just stop by,” said Ludtke.

An event which is primarily funded by shoes rather then money relies on the volunteer work of those willing to help, for the International Service Club, that help comes primarily from the members.

“I think it’s going to be a success. A ton of people have already offered to help,” said Warner, who was confident that the volunteering would surpass just this one event. “It’ll expand so people will take more action beyond the Barefoot Mile.”

With the event getting closer and closer the board has been busy working on making sure everything goes well and no problems arise during the walk.

Ludtke said, “I think that it’ll turn out pretty well, because it’s simple: they just have to walk a mile.”