The Celebrate Schools 5K is back for its 15th year and second annual Futsal tournament, presented by Campbell Auto Group, Mercedes Benz of Lynnwood and Virginia Mason Franciscan Health.

Lynndale Elementary has participated in the Celebrate Schools 5K for over 10 years. Diane Grossenbacher, Lynndale Elementary office manager, shared why the event is so important to their community:

“Under the leadership of past Principal Chris Fulford, we rallied our students, staff, families and community to show up strong for team Lynndale Lions. Despite being the fourth-smallest elementary in Edmonds School District, we reached high numbers of participants, beating our prior records almost every year. Having our team show up on race day, with all our runners and walkers wearing the Foundation 5K matching t-shirts, was invigorating. We have fabulous memories of entire Lynndale families attending with babies in strollers, dogs on leashes, students holding signs, and high-fives exchanged! Gathering our team around the trophy made for a great photo op for many years.”

No matter how large or small your school, gathering students, families and the school community around this event is not only fun, but also a great way to raise funds.

“The Celebrate Schools 5K has not only been a wonderful community builder, but it also helped us raise money for our school to fund student clubs, Taproot assemblies, our gaga ball pit, field trip admissions, and playground equipment,” Grossenbacher added. “Thank you, Foundation for Edmonds School District, for providing this opportunity to build community and earn money for our school, while also supporting the foundation’s vision that every student in our district has the resources to learn, thrive, and contribute to our vibrant community.

“Lions vs. Eagles… here we come!  You’ll hear us roar on Oct. 7!”

Join the Lynndale Lions and many more teams on Saturday, Oct. 7 at College Place Middle School as they run, roll, and kick their way through the event. Registration is at 8 a.m., the race starts at 9 a.m., and Futsal check-in starts at 10:30 a.m. with the tournament starting at 11 a.m. It’s fun for the whole family — make sure to join the Jamboree, kicking off at 10 a.m. For more information, visit www.foundationesd.org