Physical education teacher Ms. Sarah Spicer recently noticed during a yoga class session that the mats being used were curl-up mats. “I teach yoga during choice unit,” Ms. Spicer said. “Right now the school has plenty of curl-up mats for students to use, but true yoga mats are longer which can help students do more poses.” She also noticed that the pickleball paddles were, well, old. “I wanted to get pickleball paddles for the P. E. department because the current paddles were wooden and made in shop classes here at W-L back in the seventies.”

Ms. Spicer got to work, creating a page on the school fundraising website DonorsChoose.org. “I had to get both projects approved by the company,” Ms. Spicer said. “Then I sent it out on my social media and to the W-L PTA.” Within two days, Ms. Spicer raised $633 for the yoga mats and $328 for the pickleball paddles, creating a total of over $900.

The P. E. department is grateful for the new supplies. “I think it’s a good idea to get new [yoga] mats because the ones we have now are thin and old,” Ms. Terri Wrightson, another P. E. teacher, said. “[The pickleball paddles] are definitely a good addition, too. There are all kinds of different colors to choose from.”

Ms. Spicer is happy with the equipment that she fundraised for. “I also just wanted to see if it was possible!”