Richards High School Principal Dr. Mike Jacobson inspired donations of more than $16,000 on New Year’s Day by walking 24 hours without stopping. The remarkable feat, which streamed live on Facebook, supported the school college scholarship fund.
Richards teachers, students and parents walked or ran with him or from home. Superintendent Dr. Paul Enderle of Oak Lawn-Hometown District 123 and Superintendent Adam Thorns from Chicago Ridge District 127 ½ also walked with him.
Faced with a depleted scholarship fund that would not recover without intervention, Jacobson needed to get creative.
Find out what's happening in Oak Lawnfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The pandemic and its safety rules eliminated many potential ideas. So the avid walker found a solution in his daily routine: Jacobson decided to walk for 24 hours on a treadmill in the lobby of the Performing Arts Center.
“The two groups affected the most by the pandemic have been the elderly and the young. We’re the advocacy group for the young so we need to do something. We’re seeing more need than ever,” Jacobson said.
Find out what's happening in Oak Lawnfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Inspiration for the idea arrived in stark fashion. In the role of youth ministry director at Incarnation Catholic Church he’s witnessed a degree of need like never before.
Both through the Adopt-A-Family program organized by the Archdiocese of Chicago and The Giving Tree – which supports abused women and children -- sponsored by his parish, Jacobson came to understand the hardship that growing numbers of people confront today.
“It made me wonder how many kids at Richards need these things (that the Archdiocese and Incarnation provided). At times like this we need to do more. People who have (material wealth) are being called,” he said.
Without prompt the faculty from Richards answered. Rather than accept the customary holiday gifts from the school the teachers asked that the money support the scholarship fund.
Jacobson cited many reasons for the depleted scholarship fund. Athletic Boosters, which traditionally donate thousands, have not been able to organize fund raisers; donations to memorial scholarships have fallen; and, the pandemic has affected the ability of many people to donate.
