Jay Stream, Stratford's walk raises money for both schools

About 2,000 parents, students and faculty members from two Carol Stream-area middle schools spent two hours walking to help raise money for their schools.

Jay Stream Middle School in Carol Stream and Stratford Middle School in neighboring Bloomingdale collaborated on a walkathon Oct. 26 at Armstrong Park in Carol Stream.

Hoisting banners identifying their respective advisory classes, the sixth-, seventh- and eighth- grade students spent two hours walking the park and raising $20,000 for the two schools.

"In the past we did magazine drives as our fundraisers, but it wasn't really meaningful for the kids," said John Healy, principal at Jay Stream Middle School. "It was really nice getting the two schools to work together.

The local chamber of commerce and park district both partnered with the schools on the initiative, donating water and staffing a first aid and safety station in the park.

The money, donated largely by parents and relatives of students in each of the two schools, will be split evenly between Stratford and Jay Stream.

Healy said his school's share of the money will be used to help pay for student field trips, and fund programs sponsored by the PTA.

"Some of these programs get pretty expensive," Healy said. "It's nice to be able to defray some of those costs."