NYAH District and Lake Boga Primary Schools have enthusiastically participated in Ultra Fest 48, completing sporting challenges to raise funds for community projects.
Nyah District Primary School students completed one physical challenge every hour on the hour throughout the day, and Lake Boga Primary School students ran laps of the oval continuously from 6am to 6pm.
Nyah District principal Luke Dalton said the school embraced the Ultra Fest 48 challenge because the students are actively engaged in sport already, with three students going to Bendigo for athletics.
“There’s always games going on at the school, from cricket to goal kicking, and we’re always happy to support the community,” he said.
“When Dani reached out wanting to get local schools involved, we were more than happy to get on board, and the kids have loved it.”
Ultra Fest 48 organiser Dani Fleming said it was amazing to see what schools can do for a community event.
“We’re very appreciative of the two schools getting their students involved with this project to support the needs of the community,” she said.
“It challenges the students, gets them moving and gives them that sense of being involved in the whole community, which is what Ultra Fest is.”
Mrs Fleming led the students in their four laps of the basketball court, and their enthusiasm for exercise kept them going to skip ropes for another half hour.
“They were laughing, proving themselves, trying to do more and encouraging supporting each other,” she said.
“What more could you ask for.”
Another organiser, Toby Gilmore, was buoyed by the students’ enthusiasm.
“It makes us feel really proud to know that the schools and their students want to be involved in the event,” he said.
“All the kids are so keen and active, they’re so energetic they just don’t stop – one of the Lake Boga Primary School students had already clocked up 18km in seven hours, it kind of puts me to shame.”
Lake Boga Primary School principal Martin Kelly said the causes align perfectly with the school’s values.
“Our students run laps every morning, so this is something we’re used to doing here, and it’s even better that we can be active and raise money with the funds raised going to support local people and local causes,” he said.
“There are so many benefits in our students being active; we find that after they’ve run their laps, they are very settled and ready to learn.”
Ultra Fest 48 is raising funds for We Believe in Unicorns, the Mallee MRI Appeal and Youth Emergency Housing Crisis with Youth Inc.
