Lake Mary High Students Run for Fun and Wellness

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Lake Mary High Students Run for Fun and Wellness

Mental and physical wellness go hand in hand, with a prime example being the Take the First Step Family Fun Run at Lake Mary High School.

Lake Mary High Students Run for Fun and Wellness

The second annual event was presented recently by the school’s Wellness Club and Key Club, which partnered to raise money for Ali’s Hope Foundation and Kids House of Seminole – two local nonprofits focused on the needs of youths in our community.

1. Students Maddison Spalding, Preethika Bilakanti, Megan Drazen, and Shane Bugher, organizers of Take the First Step Family Fun Run at Lake Mary High School 2. Joe Gallagher, founder of Ali’s Hope Foundation, with social worker Wondra Higgins. 3. Ava Grosso, Shanel Bustamante, and Sarah Silvestre 4. Jack Justice, Abbas Mirza, Brendan Arnold, Lukas Cook, and Tristan Thomasson
1. Students Maddison Spalding, Preethika Bilakanti, Megan Drazen, and Shane Bugher, organizers of Take the First Step Family Fun Run at Lake Mary High School 2. Joe Gallagher, founder of Ali’s Hope Foundation, with social worker Wondra Higgins. 3. Ava Grosso, Shanel Bustamante, and Sarah Silvestre 4. Jack Justice, Abbas Mirza, Brendan Arnold, Lukas Cook, and Tristan Thomasson

Ali’s Hope strives to help adolescents and young adults living with mental health concerns, while Kids House works to prevent child abuse and assist victims and their families. Through donations, Ali’s Hope has funded a social worker and a student wellness lounge at Lake Mary High School since 2024, providing a safe place for students to connect, recharge, and find helpful resources for mental wellness.

Lake Mary High Students Run for Fun and Wellness

At Take the First Step, runners and walkers completed as many laps as possible in the span of two hours, receiving a mark on the back of their T-shirts after each loop around the school’s track.