By J1 Reporter Korina Liekhus

Marian had its annual Walk-A-Thon (WAT) on Sept. 30. This event encourages the students to raise money for tuition assistance, helping more than half of the student population. The Marian students raise money and then walk either two miles or four miles, depending on the class percentage of goal raised. 

COVID had an effect on everything the Crusader community did, including the WAT tradition. “After not being able to have WAT like we normally did, we embraced the new changes and moved forward. The thing that did not change is the girls’ enthusiasm and excitement despite COVID,” Mrs. Karen Coolidge, library paraprofessional, said. 

Both Coolidge and senior Jaimison Henton said they do not remember much of what WAT was like pre-COVID. In 2020 the percentages for what was brought in for WAT were way down. The total school percentage was 73.18%. This year the school had 120% of the goal which was $100,000. What they could remember is that we had to wear masks and social distance the fall of 2020. “I think we had to walk in single file,” Henton said. 

“I don’t think it had much of an effect [now]. It made WAT less fun for a couple of years but freshman year and senior year were pretty similar,” Henton said.  The themes were different though.

The theme for WAT 2019 was Color WAT and the theme this year was Splash WAT, both Coolidge and Henton said the current theme has been their favorite, but they also both enjoyed Color WAT.