Students at Walnut Grove Secondary had a unique twist to their school’s Terry Fox Run.
After running a loop around the Walnut Grove Community Centre, students and teachers embarked on an obstacle course set up in the school’s field, culminating with the teams of five having to work their way over a 10-foot high and 16-foot wide wall dubbed TUFFWALLy.
About 100 students and 20 teachers took part in what the school is planning on becoming an annual event.
“We wanted to get everyone involved and unite them in support of a great cause,” said Emma Smithson, one of the Grade 12 leadership students who helped organize the event.
“Definitely next year I think it will be even better,” added Cyrena Timmins.
With their classmates cheering the participants on, more students wished they had taken part in the obstacle part of the event, said Walnut Grove teacher Logan Kitteringham.
After running their loop, the participants had to make their way through a set of tires — while enduring garden hose spray — launch themselves on a muddy slip-and-slide, and then crawl along the ground under some ropes while avoiding water balloons. And the grand finale was working as a team to get all five members over top of the TUFFWALLy.
The wall is named after the school’s Gator mascot, Wally.
Work on the TUFFWALLy has been going on since October, and was a true school collaboration, Kitteringham said.
The idea for the wall came from social studies teacher Jeff Keen and the project also involved the school’s drafting program, art program, leadership class, student council and the school administration.
Drafting teacher Russ Newby and his students as well as physics teacher Aubry Farenholtz and her class designed the wall
Paul Trattle, Ryan Radford, Rob Griesbeck, Terry Stead, Dan Collussi, Rosemary Davis and Kitteringham took care of building the wall while art teacher Scott Gordon and his class did the painting.
Gary Ahuja/Langley Times
Below (top to bottom): Dakota Curry gets a muddy shower after sliding on the slip-and-slide; teacher Terry Stead doesn’t let an exploding water balloon deter him from making it through the ropes; Rebecca Lindsay braces herself after the slip-and-slide; Patricia Melgar (centre), Sydney Wood (left) and Rolande Taylor navigate their way through the tires; Milton Duran gets hosed down; and Amy Boone gets a hand up from teammate Amanda Yee.
