MOORPARK : 600 Youths Take Part in ‘Olympics’ as School Fund-Raiser

Students at Campus Canyon Elementary School in Moorpark jumped rope, ran and shot baskets Friday as part of an event aimed at raising money for the school.

About 600 students from kindergarten to third grade participated in the second annual Campus Canyon Cougar Olympics, which last year raised nearly $10,000 to help pay the salaries of an art teacher and a music teacher. Organizers said they will have the final figure for this year’s fund-raiser April 2.

“It was wonderful, it was so smooth, the kids loved it,” said Mary Roberts, president of Parents and Teachers Helping, the school parent support organization that organized the fund-raiser.

The competition began about 8 a.m. with the singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” and the “lighting” of a six-foot “torch,” a round tube containing a fan that blew shiny strips of orange, red and yellow paper into the air. Students then recited a customized Olympic oath and the games began.

Students raised funds by getting money pledges based on how many times they complete the course of five events: long jump, jump rope, tire run, basketball shooting and a series of calisthenics.

First-grade student Drew Bouvet, 7, said he enjoyed the competition, which lasted until about 11 a.m. “We got to play basketball and we got to do the long jump and go through tires,” he said. “And jump rope,” added classmate Anthony Lopez, also 7.