Cosmopolis elementary students plant Seeds of Hope with ALS Walk-A-Thon
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, June 3, 2026
Cosmopolis Elementary School recently raised more than $5,000 for the ALS Association through a student-led fundraising campaign called Planting Seeds of Hope.
The effort took place during the school’s Disease Awareness Month, when students learned about rare diseases and health conditions, including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease), a progressive disease that currently has no cure and gradually affects a person’s ability to walk, talk, eat and breathe.
After learning that a former teacher had been diagnosed with ALS, the school’s fifth and sixth grade student leadership team saw an opportunity to make a difference. They organized a walk-a-thon to support the ALS Association’s Accelerate the Cure campaign.
The Walk-a-Thon quickly became a community-wide effort. Students pledged to complete a certain number of laps, with neighbors, families, and local organizations sponsoring them. They helped spread awareness by creating posters, signs, and blue pom-poms. The leadership team also sent a letter home with information about the campaign and resources for families to learn more about ALS.
Cosmopolis school staff and community members contributed as well. School counselor Katie Miller helped the student leadership team with their planning and logistics. Miller’s husband Don measured the Walk-a-Thon course, while she lined the route with blue pinwheels. School board member Tina Miles made ALS awareness bracelets for every student. Principal Jennifer Sikes added some extra motivation by agreeing to get a pie in the face if students reached their fundraising goal of $500.
On the day of the event, every class participated, walking laps around the one-sixteenth-mile course. Many students even spent their recess time completing additional laps to meet their pledges.
The results far exceeded expectations. By the end of the day, the students had raised $5,000 — 10 times their original goal.
