Murphy – The Murphy Elementary School Parent-Teacher Organization is only in its second year, but members are making big things happen for students.
The PTO’s most recent fundraiser was a Fun Run, which was held in partnership with the company Booster, to raise money for playground upgrades.
“Ever since we started, we have heard one consistent need from teachers and administration – upgrades to make the playground safe and more enjoyable,” PTO President Lea Posey said. She added that some parents shared that a lot of the playground equipment available to students has been there since they started attending Murphy Elementary.
After hearing about the success a neighboring school had with the Fun Run fundraiser, they worked with that school’s PTO president to get one set up for Murphy Elementary. The PTO loved that this was a fundraiser all children got to participate in, regardless of raising funds or not, and could earn prizes for simply registering online.
Booster helped work with the PTO to establish a goal of $12,000 based on their experience, the school, and the community. The students, families and PTO increased this goal twice to raise more than $18,000.
A total of 15% of donations came from local businesses. Over half of the student body – 245 out of 467 – registered online to earn prizes and share the link to raise funds. Of those 245, 145 of those students were able to receive pledges and donations to go towards the new playground equipment.
The students responded to the event with enthusiasm and motivation, helping raise money for prizes. Many of the students wore school pride gear or special outfits, and classes made flags for students to carry throughout the Fun Run.
“The kids were excited as we passed out prizes throughout the week leading up to the run, and the day of the run, it was so fun to see their excitement build at the start line and carry on through the run,” Posey said.
She expressed gratitude for parents who are part of the PTO as well as those who helped by raising funds and registering their children online. Families expressed appreciation for the simplicity of the process and the ability to fund raise compared to those done in the past. Parents were also able to come watch their kids during their Fun Run to cheer them and their classmates on.
“We are still in the planning phase to see what we will be able to accomplish, but are incredibly thankful for how the community came together to support the students,” Posey said.
The timeline of the project depends on the district approving plans that will allow them to move forward with improving the playgrounds.
“When we began planning this summer, we had a clear hope of wanting to make an immediate impact so students this year could benefit from our efforts, but we understand it takes time to collaborate with administration and staff,” Posey said.
The Murphy Elementary PTO is always accepting donations from families and businesses, and those funds can be designated to the playground project.
“When we started our organization last year, we knew we had a community that was extremely supportive of our school, including the staff and students. They have already stepped up in so many ways to show teacher appreciation, school pride for students and help support some of our events. We are grateful to have ongoing support from local businesses and families,” Posey said.
The PTO thanks the businesses that helped support the Fun Run: Mama Moves Mountains Delivery, Brown Haven Homes, Moog Inc., Chinatown Buffet, Lance Law Firm, Cotton Builders, 1st Choice Heating & Air, Carolina Smiles, Wellington Consultants and Festive Fairies. The PTO also thanks the staff of Murphy Elementary for helping to plan and put on this new fundraiser, and the families for working hard to raise funds and coming to cheer on the students during each run.
Details: Parents who are interested in joining the Murphy Elementary PTO or community members who want to reach out to support can email murphyelementaryschoolpto@gmail.com.