A spring breeze was blowing and the sunshine abundant on Wednesday afternoon when hundreds of students and staff members at Gardnerville Elementary School ran or walked around the soccer fields to celebrate Earth Day.
"It's a mile run, but it's not competitive," said Gardnerville physical education teacher Doug Odell. "My goal is not to have them finish but to get them outside so they can notice the beauty of where they live and see if it means something to them."
Odell has been organizing Earth Day runs for 10 years, two years at Gardnerville Elementary.
"I want to plant a seed," he said. "I can do this any day, but I choose this day. I want to remind everybody how inspiring the Earth is. You can sit in a building thinking about it, or you can do it this way."
Students laughed and cheered as they made their way around the grass, but not everyone could participate.
Sixth-grader Bradley Loschbough stood propped on a pair of crutches on the edge of the field, watching his peers zoom by.
"I broke my knee skiing," he explained. "I just got done with surgery."
Although injured, Bradley said how nice it was to be outside enjoying the Earth.
"I feel bad, though," he said. "I want to run."
