Mount Kisco ES’s Hispanic Heritage Month Walkathon a Success

Joyful music burst from the speakers as students happily paraded around the field at Mount Kisco Elementary School. The mood was clearly celebratory as they took part in the second annual Hispanic Heritage Month Walkathon Fundraiser.

“I got a triple stamp!” a student triumphantly shouted as he rejoined a group of friends. Over the course of forty-five minutes, students walked five laps around the field, collecting stamps for different countries in their “passport” books as they visited different stations.

“My favorite part was when we got the stamp from Guatemala because that’s where my family is from,” said second-grader Juliett Portillo.

Created by the Multicultural Committee, this year’s walkathon raised an astounding $5,300, which is most notable because of the short fundraising window and the fact that there was another fundraiser happening simultaneously. Of that money, $1,600 will go to the Mount Kisco Elementary School Association and $1,000 will be gifted to the fifth grade class.

“The Multicultural Committee raises money throughout the school year to fund a variety of bicultural endeavors, including sponsoring students with extracurricular activities, cultural beautification building projects and dual language school assemblies,” said Multicultural Committee fundraising chair Leigh Viviano, who is a learning specialist at MKES.

Two students won the prize of Principal for a Day for raising the most money: Mateo Gonzales-Charles and Alexis Champlin.

“Our families went above and beyond,” Viviano said.

MKES staff was also dedicated to making this event a success.

“Our students are immersed in biculturalism from the get-go, with Hispanic History Month happening so close to the beginning of the school year,” said Multicultural Committee co-chair and bilingual Speech and Language Specialist Wendyliza Gonzalez. “Our teachers have made it a priority to highlight and embrace this celebration.”

As with most successful endeavors, it truly took a village to host such a fantastic event.

“The Multicultural Committee is stronger than ever, thanks to the unrelenting support from our staff, community members, and students,” said Multicultural Committee co-chair and bilingual tiered teacher Joanna Breeding. “Our members are the willing bodies that create, plan, and fund opportunities for our students, yet the community is our heartbeat. One cannot be without the other. We are so thankful for our powerful home-school connection.”