ALABASTER- Meadow View Elementary School Principal Rachea Simms has found unique and entertaining ways to motivate students.

The entire school was able to watch via live broadcast as preschool student Addie DeRamus pied Simms in the face on Friday, March 24, after she raised over $1,000 during the 2017 Warrior Run. Simms said Addie raised the most money of any student.

“It’s all about the kids,” Simms said. “I just do what I can to get them excited and give them something to look forward to,” Simms said.

If students raised at least $20,000 through the 2017 Warrior Run, Simms promised she would sleep on the roof. According to Simms, students exceeded this year’s goal and raised about $22,000. While the date is tentative to account for weather, Simms said students will tuck her in and wake her up the next morning after spring break.

The 2017 Warrior Run was held all day on Friday, March 17, and the theme was “Not All Heroes Wear Capes.” During Warrior Run, students raised money based on the amount of laps they ran. The event was organized by the MVES Parent Teacher Organization, and aided by the Thompson High School JROTC.

“We talk about what it means to be a hero,” Simms said. “The lessons have been about how being kind to one another and being a good friend is being a hero. We’re trying to instill character in the students and promote physical fitness, as well. We had 100 percent participation from the students with whatever they can do to help our school.”

PTO volunteer Heather Ray said Warrior Run also helps students take pride and responsibility for their school at an early age.

Simms made sure to thank everyone in the community who has invested in MVES.

They make their own calls and collect their own donations. We don’t have a company that helps us out,” Ray said. “They’re helping out their teachers and their classmates.”

“We can not do what we do without our community support. They do an outstanding job with everything they do for us,” Simms said.

The funds collected from this year’s Warrior Run will be used to build an outdoor classroom, and possibly to purchase new playground equipment.

“Any money that is raised for our school goes back to our students,” Simms said.