There's no rest for the weary Thursday afternoon as members of Smithfield Middle School's "Back the Homeless" club worked overtime to put the finishing touches on their big fundraiser Saturday.
There's a bit of humor and irony when you consider the event they're putting on is called "The Slack-A-Thon."
"It's actually a .5K," said Ella Kinney, a student at Smithfield MS and one of the club's officers. "The emphasis is on the point."
It's a run — or a walk if participants so choose — that's meant to be short and sweet.
"There's carb-loading stations all around the track," said Zane Sheffield, president of the club.
"With pizza and chips and donuts and coffee and soda, so all of the food you really like to eat," said Kinney.
It's the brainchild of Sheffield, an 8th grader at Smithfield MS, who started the Back the Homeless club following an encounter he had with a homeless family.
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"About three to four years ago, I was going to help the homeless on Christmas Day and these little kids came up," Sheffield said. "I gave them my shoes and my jacket. And I realized how bad they had it. And so for a few years I was wondering how I could help."
Sheffield is part of the Gifted and Talented program at Smithfield MS, which allows students who excel in the classroom to spend time during the school day planning out and executing passion projects.
So Sheffield recruited some of his friends to join the club — which is now about 20-25 members strong — and the rest is history.
"Us middle schoolers have a great imagination," said Mackenna Sullivan, a student at Smithfield MS and an officer in the club. "We always enjoy being able to do stuff we love."
"Homelessness has never been something that has directly affected me, but I feel like if we have enough to give to other people, you should," Kinney said.
Their goal is to raise enough money from the Slack-A-Thon to buy more than a hundred large backpacks equipped with waterproof ponchos, which they'll then give to local homeless people.
"You don't have to run super fast to get to the finish line for us to help these people," said Bella Mack, another Smithfield MS student who is an officer in the club. "All you have to do is show up. And that's basically the whole point."
The Slack-A-Thon will take place on Saturday, April 12 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Smithfield Middle School.
If it rains, the event will be moved indoors.
Registration fees are $20 for adults and $10 for kids under 18.
You can pre-register online or at the door Saturday.
