An 80-mile walk along U.S. 62 from Fayetteville to Lincoln and then onto Siloam Springs and back highlighted the needs of children and meeting those needs so they can succeed in school.
"This is to bring attention to the needs of 24,000 kids in our schools in Northwest Arkansas," said Ralph Nesson, Arkansas regional coordinator with Bright Futures USA. "That is the number of children in our schools who qualify for the free and reduced lunch program. That represents 20 percent of all the kids in Northwest Arkansas."
Northwest Arkansas Walk 4 Kids was sponsored by Bright Futures and money raised by the event will help schools in the region that have Bright Futures programs.
Prairie Grove and Lincoln are the two districts in western Washington County affiliated with Bright Futures.
Bright Futures USA is a national organization, based in Joplin, Mo., that serves as a conduit to help schools meet the needs of their students by networking with civic groups, churches, parent groups, businesses and individuals within a community. The goal is to meet every child's basic needs.
When a child's basic needs are not being met, when he or she is hungry, does not have adequate clothes or is not cared for at home that affects how the child learns at school, Nesson said.
"When a kid comes to school unprepared to learn, the job of the school is twice as hard," he said, adding, "When you meet the basic needs of children, they will be much more ready to learn."
Going beyond basic needs, students' needs also can be met through mentoring and opportunities to connect with children, such as having lunch buddies, he said.
All of this, Nesson said, will help break the cycle of poverty.
The strength of Bright Futures, Nesson said, is that it brings the community into the classroom and allows people in the community to help children in their schools.
Most needs are posted on a school's Bright Futures Facebook page. Both Prairie Grove and Lincoln have their own Bright Futures Facebook page and they've used social media to get the word out.
Recent needs met in Lincoln included a pair of tennis shoes for a high school student, a hot water heater for a family and money to pay for a senior's cap and gown for graduation.
Prairie Grove and Lincoln schools recently sponsored a joint sock drive for Bright Futures and people donated more than 2,300 pairs of socks for children this year.
"People are looking for ways to help," Nesson said. "And that's what Bright Futures does. It harnesses all the skills and resources of a community to help students."
Nesson's walk started Saturday, Nov. 5, at Lucy's restaurant on Martin Luther King Blvd. in Fayetteville and ended at Harp's in Lincoln. Sunday, he walked from Lincoln to Siloam Springs. Monday, he made the return trek, going from Siloam Springs to Lincoln and then he finished his walk Tuesday, walking along U.S. Highway 62 from Lincoln to Lucy's in Fayetteville.
His goal was to raise $20,000 for Bright Futures. Some of that will go to the schools and some will go to the Bright Futures USA organization.
Kelley Bradley of Lincoln coordinated the walk for Nesson and also participated with him from Fayetteville to Siloam Springs and back.
"I like being able to raise awareness," Bradley said. "Teachers see the needs everyday but the community doesn't always see it. Bright Futures is an immediate response. That's what I like about it."
Part of Nesson's responsibility is to encourage other districts to join Bright Futures. He works with Washington, Benton, Madison and Carroll counties and 11 out of 18 districts in those four counties have joined Bright Futures. He hopes more will join in the future.
Donations are still being accepted for the Walk 4 Kids. Go to www.brightfuturesusa.org or mail donations to P.O. Box 0221, Fayetteville, AR 72702.
General News on 11/16/2016