By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – When event emcee Greg Dickinson told the Creek View Elementary School kindergarteners the theme of the lap they were running, the kids knew exactly what to do.

“This is the Whip and Nae Nae lap,” Dickinson told the kids as they participated in the school’s first self-organized fun run fundraiser in many years on March 17, sending the kids into a flurry of synchronized dance moves.

Throughout the day, the school held fun run events for all of its students in an effort to raise money for multiple CVES projects.

During the two weeks leading up to the fun run, students secured monetary pledges from parents and community members for each lap the kids ran during the event. After the donations are collected, they will be used to fund new playground equipment, classroom supplies and general expenses at the school, said CVES Principal Charissa Cole.

“The PTO and PE coaches have done such a great job putting all of this together, and the Thompson High School track team has volunteered to run with the students,” Cole said as she took a break from helping kids to tally the number of laps they had run. “And our teachers have really gotten behind this to make it successful.”

During the event, which featured plenty of green attire in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, kids ran as many laps as they could on a pair of tracks set up on the school’s recreation field.

Each lap brought a different theme, such as performing the Whip and Nae Nae while running, holding hands with a friend and walking to cool off after a series of fast-paced laps.

Several local businesses donated prizes for the students and teachers who secured the most donations, such as scooters and water bottles for students and gift cards and a stay at Ross Bridge for the teachers.

In the past, the school has used outside companies to organize the fun run, but decided to handle it in-house this year to allow more money to stay at CVES.

“The kids had a lot of fun doing this, and the community support has been tremendous,” Cole said.