Hannah Beardsley NJHS Fund Run Raises $7,423 for a Great Cause

The Hannah Beardsley Middle School National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) turned energy into impact with their first-ever Fund Run, a fundraising event that raised $7,423—far surpassing their original $1,000 goal.

The Fund Run was planned by some of the school’s 8th grade NJHS students with the idea of creating a student-led fundraiser that involved all 8th grade students at HBMS. The goal was to raise money to help lower the cost of the 8th grade end-of-year field trip. Thanks to their success, the trip is now fully funded and free for all students—originally it would have cost $24 per student.

“For NJHS, we start things like fundraisers, so we thought it would be fun to try something like this because we’ve never done something quite like it,” said Alison, 8th grade NJHS member. Fellow NJHS member Sylvia added, “We helped kind of put it together and plan it all. It was really fun because we got to engage with others and communicate—it just felt so rewarding.”

Students collected donations from family, friends, and neighbors. For every $10 raised, students earned a raffle entry, and they had the chance to earn an extra entry by completing three laps (1.5 miles) around the school in 15 minutes during their PE class. Students could then enter their raffle tickets for a chance to win a gift card/gift basket from the local sponsors. The success of the Fund Run was a true community effort. A special shoutout goes to the generous local businesses that donated raffle prizes: Crumbl Cookie, Julie Ann’s, Benedict’s, Café Olympic, Culver’s, Country Donuts, and Buffalo Wild Wings.

The student-led effort not only brought the school community together but also gave NJHS members a meaningful leadership experience. “It’s been really fun planning it,” said Alison. “It’s something that helps us grow and make a difference at the same time.”

The NJHS hopes the success of this year’s event will inspire future classes to keep the tradition alive