McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Linfield’s men’s soccer team took part in an unusual off-season workout, but it was all for a good cause. The club spent the past Friday volunteering at Grandhaven Elementary School’s Jog-a-Thon.

Nearly half of the current team members made appearances throughout the day, encouraging and running with the elementary school children as they ran laps around the gymnasium as part of a school fundraiser.

“It’s a great way to get involved in the community,” said junior Wil Hiles. “It means a lot to these kids to be able to look up to us.”

“The kids really enjoyed it,” said Karen Jones, event coordinator. “It was an added bonus to have the soccer players come and the kids thought it was so cool. The whole atmosphere was so much fun all day long.”

The Grandhaven Jog-a-Thon is one of two major annual fundraisers for the school. Family and friends pledged money to the students, through either a flat donation or on a per-lap basis. The money helps fund programs that the school’s tight budget cannot, including field trips and end-of-year activities.