Middle school cross country teams from all across Chittenden County gathered at the Shelburne Museum on Wednesday for their final meet of the season. The warm fall weather and stunning views made for an exceedingly picturesque experience for racers and spectators alike.
With faces flushed from exertion and the exhilaration of the race, the middle school athletes’ energy and enthusiasm was palpable. Waldorf high schoolers came and cheered on their middle school friends, and their mascot, Betty the Wildcat, even made an appearance! The high school students invited all the athletes and their families back to the high school for some treats.
Lake Champlain Waldorf High School students, faculty, and staff crafted a fair trade celebration for the runners, in keeping with October as Fair Trade Month. Fair trade is a global movement that is helping to improve the lives of people around the world, and they were so happy to tie in this great mission with the celebration. Led by Waldorf senior Maya Fontanez, who is focusing her senior project on fair trade, the school community gathered an assortment of baked goods using fair trade ingredients.
Maya worked with her mentor to invite fair trade and local companies to sponsor the event. They received incredibly generous donations of bananas, coffee, tea, and chocolate from Equal Exchange. A local fair trade favorite, Ben & Jerry’s came and offered up free scoops of ice cream to the athletes. Shelburne Orchards also donated delicious apples and Fairtrade America supplied great giveaways. The students appreciated the businesses’ generosity!
“It’s been a really great cross-country season,” shared Athletic Director Tyler MacDonald. “We were so excited that many of the athletes came over for fair trade snacks.” The Waldorf School plans to make this an annual tradition.