While some students spend their Friday nights with friends or taking it easy after a long school day, this past Friday, August 17, the Cross Country team used their Friday night running a twelve hour relay to help fund a travel meet to Palatine, Illinois. Each cross country athlete worked the fundraiser, to make this year’s travel meet a reality, and to have a little fun doing so.

“The all-nighter was very tough , I wasn’t able to make it, and took many little naps. It was great to be with the team and with the coaches and to have a night that was just for us. By the morning, we were all exhausted and the pancake dinner was icing on the cake. The night was definitley worth it,” junior Yesenia Gomez said.

The coaches and parents of the cross country team have been trying to come up with a creative idea to help fundraise a travel meet in Palatine, Illinois, that will feature some of the best High School cross country teams in the Midwest. The twelve hour relay consisted of the athletes running in thirty minute shifts. Never was there a time that an athlete was not running, during the entire event.

“Our athletes did an excellent job fundraising for, and participating in, our twelve hour relay, ‘500 Miles to Palatine‘. We challenged each athlete to raise $100 through donations, and most athletes met or exceeded this goal. Combined with the all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast at the end of the event, we collected more than $5,200 ,” cross country Coach Lindsey Plaster said.

The “500 Miles to Palatine” fundraiser did not just consist of the relay. Athletes who completed their half hour shift, participated in: soccer, kickball matches, watching movies, cooking s’mores, and just bonding with teammates. In the morning of this all-nighter, a pancake breakfast was held from 6:00 to 9:00 to wrap up the fun festivities and a successful event.

“We could not have hosted this event without the help of our wonderful cross country parents, who helped supervise the event, donated food for snacks, and cooked pancakes in the morning for the pancake breakfast. It truly was a team effort, and we greatly appreciate everyone who helped with and/or donated to our fundraiser,” Plaster said.