Written by: Suzie Kim, 7th grade

Are you ready?! FLIGHT FEST IS HERE! The fun festival is ready for you! Get pumped up and ready to run (or walk) the race! The sun might be a no-show Saturday morning, but the energy of over 550 registered racers will surely brighten your morning and warm your spirit! It seems only tradition now that Flight Fest falls on a chilly autumn Saturday… perfect to get your body moving and blood flowing! So bundle up, sport your new Flight Fest long-sleeve shirt, hydrate today, and stretch tomorrow so you are ready to race! Enjoy your run or walk among friends and family, then please join in the festivities that follow at Sycamore Jr. High!

Thank you to all of the volunteers, donation contributors, parents, staff, and students who have made Flight Fest such an amazing community event! See you at the starting line!

Reverse Raffle

Article written by: Allison McElroy, 7th grade

Aviator Flight Fest is an awesome festival,  5k and 10k race, and fundraiser all rolled into one that is held here at Sycamore Junior High. The best part? It’s coming up soon! Flight Fest is on Saturday, October 3rd, and one part of it is the Reverse Raffle.  

A Reverse Raffle, unlike a traditional raffle, is where you want to be the last ticket drawn. If your ticket is drawn last, you could win $1,000! The ticket that is drawn second to last will still get a fantastic prize of $500. The student that sold the winning ticket or the runner up ticket  will also win a prize of $50. You do not have to be present to win these prizes.This money could be yours by just purchasing one $10 ticket! Checks are encouraged and can be made payable to SJH PTO.

In order to sell many tickets, we will need lots of participation from students! Tickets will be coming home with students this Thursday, September 17th. Students should return completed ticket stubs, along with the exact payment, in a sealed envelope marked with their name and “Flight Fest Raffle Tickets” to their first bell teacher. These tickets can be purchased until 12:15 the day of Flight Fest at which time the drawing will begin.  The final 20 tickets will be drawn at 12:45.The student who sells the most tickets will win $100 and will also have a chance at additional prizes for ticket sellers that will be announced throughout the drawing of tickets during Flight Fest.  

So starting September 17th, get out, get selling, and join us on October 3rd for a spectacular day of fun, fundraising, and flying across the finish line!

Flight Fest T-shirts

Article written by: Susie Kim, 7th grade

It’s that time of year again folks! Aviator Flight Fest is coming right around the corner on October 3rd! One of the coolest parts of this festival is not only the race, or the games, but the t-shirts! This year, the t-shirts are gray and long-sleeved, perfect for the chilly October. It’s also perfect to be used as spiritwear, as the flight fest logo is big on the front. On the back of the shirt are the Top Gun ($5000), Flight Captain ($3000), Aviator ($1000), and Navigator ($750) sponsors. Donate the amounts of money listed to get yourself on the back of the shirt. This article of clothing is known as a source of pride as well being seen everywhere around the community from year one, which was in 2011. Something new about this year is now there are shirts for both genders. The men’s shirt is a crew-neck shirt and the women’s shirt is a v-neck, both made of 100% polyester. The shirt has been modified over the past five years. In the first 3 years of the race, the shirt was a tech-shirt (technical). Then, last year, the shirt was a cotton shirt, but people begged for the tech-shirt to come back, so the shirt is back to being a tech-shirt this year.

You want this shirt now? It’s easy! Aviator Flight Fest is one of the biggest fundraisers of the school year, so register before September 15th, and you get a shirt, plus you’re guaranteed the size you want. Students are $25.00, and adults are $30.00, but you cannot buy just a shirt, you have to register.  At Flight fest, there will be extra shirts for 2015, but you are not guaranteed the size you’d like. Did you see last years Flight fest shirts from 2014? You looked at them and thought,”Wow! I want a shirt like that!” but didn’t make it to the festival? It’s okay because at Flight fest, there will be some shirts from the previous event.

For more information about the sizing chart or registration, go to http://www.aviatorflightfest.com. If you have any questions, please contact avesflightfest@gmail.com or Lisa Zelvy, the assistant principal for Sycamore Junior High, at zelvyl@sycamoreschools.com.

40 Days and Counting...

In just 40 days Sycamore supporters will fill the streets to run the 5th annual Aviator Flight Fest.  There is still so much to be done in order for this day to be a success.  Our committee is working tirelessly to create signs, prep games, prepare tickets, and spread the word about this awesome event.  Tomorrow we will start our student involvement, with the first ever STUDENT Flight Fest committee.  Students will be asked to create posters and publications, encourage racers to register, sell raffle tickets, attend events to recruit volunteers and participants, and so much more.  I couldn't be prouder of our students, as the interest amongst our kids to get involved in this event is spreading like a fever.  Our 40 day countdown begins...

Volunteers are critical for race success

Did you know Flight Fest is run entirely by volunteers? From the dark hours of the morning to the late afternoon our Flight Fest workers set up, keep going, and tear down this big event. This year with the addition of our 10K route our need for volunteers is greater than ever. Safety at the race is our number one priority and we need your help! Won't you consider signing up? www.aviatorflightfest.com

CHANGE OF DATE FOR FLIGHT FEST 2015

The "Queen Bees" have spoken and we listened!  Due to a growing number of distraught racers who are committed to Sycamore Community Schools and want to participate in Aviator Flight Fest, but also wish to run the Cincinnati Queen Bee half marathon, we are moving Flight Fest to October 3, 2015.  What a great move, as we can not only welcome all of our Queen Bee racers, but we get to be a part of Sycamore Homecoming weekend!  Registration is live on RunningTime.net.  

Aviator Flight Fest... Year 5

While it may be the 5th year for Aviator Flight Fest, not everyone knows of this important day for Sycamore Junior High School.  Flight Fest is the largest fundraiser that SJH delivers during the school year.  The purpose?  To raise funds that support the 25+ extra-curricular activities at SJH. These activities include clubs like our outdoor club, walking club, partners club for students with disabilities, math club, our power of the pen writers, and many more.  SJH prides itself in having great variety in activities, so that every student who attends here has an opportunity to get involved.

Aviator Flight Fest has grown over the last 5 years to become a day of excitement within the Sycamore Community Schools and the community at large.  In its 5th year, Flight Fest hopes to deliver an even greater challenge to racers, entertainment to participants, and surpass its previous fundraising goals.  In 2014, 500 runners and walkers took to the streets of Montgomery to conquer our challenging course.  This fall we will offer a new 5K route for walkers and runners, and our first ever 10K route for runners.

The day begins in the early morning with runners and walkers taking to the course.  At the conclusion of the race, participants are greeted with breakfast and coffee, and are invited to join in the festivities of the day.  Carnival games and prizes are available for kids of all ages, and adults enjoy our bid-n-buy auction area.  Families can enjoy refreshments and delicious food supplied by local supporters throughout the festival.  The festival remains open for the duration of the morning, so that if you aren't able to make the race, you are still able to come and have some fun.

Aviator Flight Fest is scheduled for October 10, 2015. Registration is opening soon.  So put down that watermelon and stop lounging by the pool, because training starts now!

See you at the starting line!