Miss Florida visit kicks off Southside jog-a-thon

Southside Elementary School students looked up to Miss Florida — not only because she towered over them but also because of her passion for encouraging kindness wherever she goes.

The school kicked off its annual jog-a-thon fundraiser, “Kindness Conquers,” Monday, Oct. 19, with Miss Florida Rachel Todd in attendance. The jog-a-thon is Southside’s largest fundraiser.

“I’m here to encourage that, even into their adult lives, being kind is at the basis of everything,” Todd said. “It’s great the way this community is pulling together, even as young as kindergarten.”

Each year, the school holds an art contest for the jog-a-thon. Students submit artwork depicting their interpretation of the year’s theme, and the winner of the contest has his or her design printed on the T-shirts that students wear the day of the event. A judging panel selected kindergartner Henry Castilow’s design because it best expressed “Kindness Conquers.”

The jog-a-thon kickoff featured a video showcasing students’ views on kindness, and to extend the theme, each classroom will create its own kindness project starting today until the jog-a-thon Nov. 13. Money raised from the event will go toward renovating the school’s media center and supplement replacement items.