Ballard Elementary School in Bradenton, 'the little school that could, wins record Take Stock scholarship race
MANATEE -- Students and faculty from Bradenton's Ballard Elementary School were so excited about winning the school's first scholarship Sunday at the sixth annual Take Stock in Children races in Lakewood Ranch they spontaneously sang during the awards presentation.
"The little school that could, the little school that could," chanted Principal Wendy Mungillo and her staff and students, including Amber Hatch, the school's Take Charge in Children team leader.
Take Stock in Children, which gives needy qualifying students full college scholarships, handed out five scholarships to Ballard, Wakeland and Rowlett elementaries and Lincoln and Haile middle schools.
The organization, celebrating its 19th year in Manatee County, raised more than $100,000 from an all-time record 2,200 runner registrations for Take Stock's 10K/5K and Fun Run races, which easily topped last year's 1,200 runners, said Diana Dill, Take Stock in Children executive director.
"I am so proud to live in a community that supports Take Stock in Children like this," an emotional Dill said after the races.
By registering 195 registered runners for the event on Main Street, Ballard finished second behind Wakeland, which registered 285 runners in the elementary school category.
Using a school selection committee, the five schools will award one graduating student the scholarship, Dill said. Student winners will be announced at graduation, Dill said.
Student also gain entrance into the Take Stock in Children mentoring program, which provides a mentor from sixth grade through college.
"This will change the life of one of our students," Hatch said. "It's huge for us. We are one of the district's lower-income schools. This is the first time we have ever received it."
Hatch, born and raised in Manatee County, said she resorted to "a lot of begging and social media" to sign up enough students and family members to come in second.
In the charter school category, Rowlett Elementary finished first with 368 registered runners and will receive a scholarship.
"We're thrilled," said Rowlett's Dolores Hiott who joins Julie Franklin and Punchie Bradshaw-Teal on the Rowlett Take Stock in Children team.
"This is just a great opprounity for one of our fifth-graders to have a chance at a scholarship."
Rowlett's committee will take into consideration student motivation, academics and financial need when selecting a fifth-grade scholarship winner, Hiott said.
In middle school, Lincoln took first place with 105 runners and Haile came in second with 86 to each earn a scholarship.
Ballard teachers Laura McInnis and Kim Huston said they went to college on full Take Stock in Children scholarships.
McInnis received hers at Palmetto High School in 2002 and used it to go two years at State College of Florida (then-Manatee Community College) and the University of South Florida-Sarasota Manatee. Huston got hers in eighth grade at Haile Middle in 2000 and also went to MCC and USF Sarasota-Manatee.
"My mom was a single parent who came here from New Hampshire in 1999," Huston said. "We had no money for college. I would not have been able to go without Take Stock in Children. In fact, I am still in touch with my mentor, Rita Childs, whom I dearly love."
"I came from a family with no extra money for college," McInnis said.
Students receiving a Take Stock in Children scholarship must be drug- and crime-free and sustain good grades and behavior, Dill said.
Take Stock in Children in Manatee County has 115 sixth- to 12th-grade students all with mentors, Dill said.
The organization has 250 Manatee students in college and roughly 100 more graduate, Dill said.
The Florida Prepaid College Foundation matches dollars Take Stock raises for college scholarships, Dill added.
Near sprint takes 5K overall
Sarasota's Shanon Winkelman, 44, needed only 17 minutes, 13 seconds to win the 5K in warm and humid conditions in the mid-70s.
Steve Neumann of Palmetto High School, 17, clocked 18:12, nearly a full minute slower than a man 27 years his senior.
"That's wild," Neumann said.
Said Winkelman of his success: "At my age you can't go out and just run every day. You'll kill your body. I cross train. That's the only way. Heavy core, upper body, lower body. A lot of work goes into this."
Winkelman is a personal trainer at Pope Training and Performance on Lena Road in Lakewood Ranch.
Bradenton's Leah Swarts was the top woman 5K finisher in 21:38.
In the 10K, Guy Scheiwiller, who recently moved to Venice from Switzerland, took the victory in 38:32 followed by Bradenton's Calvin Drake at 39:17 and Cody Moss at 39:46.
Sarasota's Rachel Chambers was the top 10K woman finisher in 41.33.
Richard Dymond, Herald reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7072 or contact him via Twitter@RichardDymond.
This story was originally published March 1, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Ballard Elementary School in Bradenton, 'the little school that could, wins record Take Stock scholarship race."