With slideshow: Students at Ann Arbor's Haisley Elementary School raise more than $7K at annual walk-a-thon

“It’s one of the major fundraisers for the school and it is a more productive feeling for the children to have them actively involved as opposed to selling wrapping paper or candy,” she said. “The most important thing is the community spirit it builds.”

Members of the University of Michigan’s women’s swim team and women’s basketball team joined the students, which really excited the kids, Jaegar said.

Having the walk-a-thon on a school day allowed for the entire school to participate, which sometimes isn’t possible on a weekend, Jaegar said. Even parents who are serving as lap counters get into the event, sometimes so focused on counting laps that they don’t feel they should take their eyes away from the track, she said.

Jaegar said the feeling of accomplishing a goal by collecting pledges was also a major positive for the students.

“They get really excited and it’s a way of reaching goals,” she said. “It really helps kids with the whole goal-setting piece and as a parent I know that’s really important.”