Mary C. Williams students, staff raise money for new track

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington elementary school is promoting a healthy lifestyle one step at a time. Mary C. Williams students and staff are raising money for a new track.

Mary C. Williams students say they love to be active, but that’s a hard thing to do on the school’s old, dusty track.

Dillon Christie, a fifth grader, says it’s not fun running on this track.

“It’s really hard to run on, and your feet always sink into the sand. You get lots of sand in your shoes, which is really annoying, especially in class after recess,” Christie said.

To smooth out this rocky terrain, school staff, students and parents have been raising money by holding events like Friday’s “March in March.”

Principal Amy Oots says they want to raise healthy and active kids here.

“We want a really nice place for the students to exercise. We are trying to plant some seeds for wellness long term,” Oots said.

PE teacher Joe Welliver says it’s important kids stay active.

“It’s incredibly important,” Welliver said. “One epidemic we are facing in this county is childhood diabetes, and one way we can get in front of it is by improving our fitness, our diet.”

So far the school has raised $6,000 for the track. The goal is $20,000.

You can contact Mary C. Williams Elementary at (910) 350-2150 if you would like to donate.