You're on track to get doubled donations (and unlock a reward for the colleague who referred you). Keep up the great work!
Take credit for your charitable giving! Check out your tax receipts
Donate
To use your $50 gift card credits, find a project to fund and we'll automatically apply your credits at checkout. Find a classroom project
Skip to main content

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season!
Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.

See this teacher's page

This teacher needs your help!

Mr. Finer from Los Angeles, CA is requesting other through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mr. Finer is requesting

Reward My Heroes - Middle Schoolers Who Ran 26.2 Miles!

The cost of 11 awards and plaques is $1053, including <a target="new" href="http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm" onclick="g_openWindow('http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm', 300, 800, 'fulfillwindow');return false;">fulfillment</a>.

  • $1,053 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Keep the momentum going! Make a donation to Mr. Finer for his next project!

Help Mr. Finer

Keep the momentum going! Make a donation to Mr. Finer for his next project!

When a few teachers at my middle school broached the idea of starting a chapter of Students Run LA, I thought the concept was nuts. Who had ever heard of 7th and 8th graders running an entire marathon? Especially students from our school, smack in the middle of South Central LA where there were few models for success. However, we decided to put our madness into action. We began training students in September for March's Los Angeles Marathon. At our first practice, we ran for 10 minutes. Over the months, the students improved immensely. They successfully completed a 5k, then a 10k, and another race each month (such as the Orange County Half Marathon). We started running 15 miles on Sundays around USC, building up to practicing four days a week. The school rallied behind these kids. Marcos never stopped running, once choosing to run home from school after our return from a half marathon. Omar, a special ed. student, became intensely focused in class. John, a self-admitted slacker who at first wore shorts that nearly reached his ankles even in races, saw he could be successful and turned into the fastest runner on the team. And Damaris lived out her nickname of "Miss Independent," her self-confidence rubbing off on everyone around her. In the end, 10 students completed the entire LA Marathon (along with 6 staff - four who were first timers). Everyone who started finished. Plenty of family came out, and cried when their kids finished. Students wore their finishers medals to school the next day and smiled as they limped along. And within a week, they were back to running. We would like to commemorate their accomplishments by presenting each student with a plaque with their official finishers photo and engraved with their names, along with a plaque for the school with a team picture. Neither the families nor the coaches have the money to do this on our own (the coaching position is unpaid, despite the months of work and the expenses involved with food, supplies, transportation, etc.) Thus, your help will enable students and the school to always remember that these students truly are heroes and can overcome all challenges to accomplish amazing things in their lives.

Mr. Finer Los Angeles Academy Middle School Grades 6-8

Equity Focus

At this school, more than 50% of students are Black, Latino, and/or Native American, and more than 50% come from low-income households. Learn how your donation to this school supports a more equitable education.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

More about Mr. Finer

Los Angeles, CA View local requests

Nearly all students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

10 students impacted 2donors

Boost your odds

Add a profile photo in addition to your classroom photo. If you add a photo, it'll show up right here on your project page.

You are more likely to receive funding if you put a face to your name.

Upload a photo

Top rated for efficiency and transparency.

You donate directly to the teacher or project you care about and see where every dollar you give goes.

Expand the "Where your donation goes" section below to see exactly what Mr. Finer is requesting.

See our finances

Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
• $0.00

Materials cost

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

3rd party payment processing fee

Fulfillment labor & materials

Total project cost

$863.05

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$189.45

Total project goal

$1,052.50

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $1,052.50

2 Donors

-$998.13

Donations toward project cost

-$863.50

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$134.63

Excluded support for DonorsChoose

-$54.92

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

View complete list Show less

Give the most requested basic supplies

See teacher requests

Give back to your community

Find opportunities to impact local needs by exploring a map of classroom projects near you.

See local area

Project Activity

Project Activity
Back to top

DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mr. Finer and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

See how DonorsChoose works
{"pmaHash":"","showProjectRecommendations":true,"leadGenEnabled":true,"hideTeacherDetails":false,"schoolState":"CA","teacherPossessivePronoun":"his","PMsManager":null,"schoolGradeType":{"id":3,"name":"Middle School"},"TeacherPMForms":{},"completingDonationAmount":0,"teacherHasClassroomPhoto":true,"proposalURL":"https://www.donorschoose.org/project/reward-my-heroes-middle-schoolers-who/39278/","mayHaveReplacements":false,"numStudents":10,"teacherScreenName":"Mr. Finer","isEquityFocus":true,"proposalHash":"1539813115","isApplePayMobileOnly":true,"progressBarPercentage":100.00,"photosPublished":false,"queryString":"","DonorPMForm":null,"schoolCity":"Los Angeles","teachersOnPage":[39554],"isTeacherViewingTheirOwnProject":false,"minimizedLeadGenEnabled":false,"proposalId":39278,"proposalMessageFormModel":null,"numActiveProjects":0,"verifyShowPhotos":"","eligibleToBeCopied":false,"authorIds":{"39554":{"owner":"Mr. Finer","donationSalutations":{}}},"displayedPercentFunded":1.0,"proposalsOnPage":[39278],"pmaId":"","teacherProfilePhotoURL":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp39554_orig.jpg?crop=1003,1003,x460,y25&width=136&height=136&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1735578265081","teacherHasProfilePhoto":true,"currentWorkflowStatusCode":21,"teacherChallengeId":73383,"isApplePayEnabled":true,"fundedByTarget":false,"activeProject":null,"donorIdsForImpactPhotoCheck":[],"teacherId":39554,"schoolCounty":"Los Angeles","fullyFunded":true,"isStudentLed":false,"isExpired":true,"schoolStateObj":{"code":"CA","name":"California"}}