Why I Organized a Walkathon

I’m writing this post a month after Winter Storm Uri. I live in Texas and like many Texans, I experienced rolling blackouts, near-freezing temperatures indoors, and no Wi-Fi. On the first day of the storm, my teachers still posted assignments because school was scheduled to open up the next day. I panicked because I didn’t have any way to do my assignments since my Wi-Fi went out. Luckily, school ended up being canceled for the rest of the week.

The storm made me realize how students are dependent on Wi-Fi for education. Yet, over 9 million students in the United States still lack consistent internet access at home. This news troubled me, especially because internet access has become even more important during the pandemic as schools switched to online learning.

I decided that I should do what I can to help with this issue. So, I decided to raise money for a non-profit organization called Devices for Students. This nonprofit provides devices and Wi-Fi hotspots to low-income students in the United States.

I decided that the best way of raising funds would be by organizing a virtual walkathon, especially because many people haven’t been exercising much due to the pandemic. I asked my friends and family if they would be interested in participating, and nearly seventy people participated. Everyone chipped in what they could, and we all walked or ran five kilometers on 03/14/21. Some participants said that this was the most they had worked out in a year! In the end, we ended up raising nearly $500 for Devices for Students.

Organizing this walkathon inspired me to look at more ways I can help my community. I plan to organize more walkathons in the future as well as contribute to the community in other ways.