Skate-a-thon places fundraising in the community's hands

MEADOW LAKES -- Tom Lincoln's purchase of a large set of costly rollerblades for Meadow Lakes Elementary's physical education program might have been viewed originally as a jar of magic beans, an uncertain investment without guarantee of a profitable return. The skates cost $11,000, and he had only a single year to come up with the money.

However, the ever-enterprising Lincoln soon found a way to make the skates pay for themselves. Advertising low-cost skate-a-thons during weeknights, he attracted both Meadow Lakes students and community members alike to the school gym for skating, music and strobe lights. Additional money was brought in by selling cookies, juice and other comestibles during skating nights.

Lincoln also received large contributions from Collins Construction, American Legion Post 35 and the local Parent/Teacher Association. These funds helped to defray the cost of the skates and make his independent fundraising efforts a reality.

To drum up support for his program, Lincoln offered a variety of prizes for participants, particularly items that encourage physical activity like bikes, sports balls and snowboards. Encouraged by these prizes, Meadow Lakes students went door-to-door within their communities, seeking sponsorship from local families. By cobbling together the coins and occasional bills they received in this manner, a surprisingly large number of students found themselves able to attend Lincoln's skate nights.

Ninety students at once might be found in the gym on skate nights, packing the room and spilling out into the adjoining hallway. Lincoln has been running a P.E. unit on rollerblading over the past few weeks, teaching the students how to handle the blades properly, how to avoid falling down and how to skate around other students, so the seemingly chaotic pile of bodies is at least conscious of safety.

Lincoln is pleased with the positive effects that his skate-a-thons have had upon his students.

"The money's going to a great cause," he said. "The kids absolutely love it."

The success of this program has been so great that Lincoln said he's considering using the same system to obtain a rock climbing wall or other enhancements for the school.

"It's a great way to raise money schoolwide, and to get the community involved as well," he said.

Lincoln believes that, despite the financial successes of his plan, it's impossible to put a price on the benefits gained by the skates.

"My philosophy is: teach lifelong activities to kids and they'll participate in them all their lives," he said.

Lincoln bought the skates from Curt Jablin, the Arizona-based owner of Skating America, a program that attempts to bring inline skating into the physical education curricula of K-12 schools. Jablin can be reached at skatingamerica@aol.com.

Contact Daniel Spoth at daniel.spoth@frontiersman.com.