by Cori Hilsgen
news@thenewsleaders.com
The St. Joseph All Saints Academy’s 33rd annual “Saints in Service” workathon day will take place Saturday, Oct. 29.
For many years, ASA-St. Joseph students have participated in the event to offer services such as raking leaves, clearing gardens, clearing brush, moving wood and more to assist elderly and disabled residents of the St. Joseph area, as well as raise money for their school.
Because other St. Cloud area Catholic schools also participate in workathons on the same day, last year they began emphasizing the service they are doing for others and renamed the day “Saints in Service.”
Other schools also planning to volunteer service hours include the ASA St. Cloud campus, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Francis Xavier and St. Katharine Drexel.
After volunteers are finished working at their various jobs, they are invited to Cathedral High School for lunch and activities organized by Cathedral School students.
Last year about 200 people, including 30 alumni, volunteered for the St. Joseph event, which raised at least $26,000.
“I think the success of the workathon stems from the fact we are not just doing a fundraiser but also doing community service,” ASA Principal Karl Terhaar said. “This is why other Catholic schools have decided to also do their own workathons.”
This year’s ASA-St. Joseph campus goal is to raise $23,000. If students are able to do so, they will be able to celebrate with a Halloween carnival.
If ASA-St. Joseph students are able to raise $25,000, Terhaar has volunteered to let students be his arms to sample various foods, similar to what is done on the comedy show “Whose Line is it, Anyway?” Terhaar will not use his arms, and a student will stand behind him, trying to be unseen, and pretend the student’s arms are his.
This year’s theme for the event is “We are called to be superheroes,” emphasizing when you help someone else, you are a hero to that person.
At the ASA-St. Joseph Saints in Service kick-off event Sept. 29, classroom teachers dressed as superheroes who were at a superhero-awards ceremony. Terhaar (aka “Leaf Man”) was given an award for Superhero of the Year.
Donations are not required by those who have work projects, and people who want to donate money to the cause do not need to have jobs to be completed.
The service day is one of ASA-St. Joseph’s largest service projects with a fundraising goal. The school currently has 113 students enrolled in grades kindergarten through sixth grade and 36 preschool students.
Funds raised from the event go toward ASA-St. Joseph’s general budget. Terhaar said that allows the school to be able to have programs and more they normally might not be able to offer – things such as Spanish and art specialists, one-on-one reading tutors, one-to-one computer devices, an engineering curriculum and more.
To donate or for more information, contact ASA at 320-363-7505, ext. 150.
At the 2015 St. Joseph All Saints Academy Saints in Service (Workathon) day, “Leaf Man” (aka principal Karl Terhaar) visited local job sites to encourage volunteers. Pictured are (front row) Easton Frieler; (middle row, left to right) Hosanna Hinton-Williams, Samantha Roseboom, Glenn Werner and Bree Muske; and (back row) Troy Frieler, Robert Williams, Tim Muske, Shelly Muske and Terhaar.
