Grade 7 Students Lead ISP’s Dobrý Anděl Walkathon at ISP with Purpose

Written in collaboration with William Mathews, Grade 7 German Teacher

At ISP, student leadership is at the heart of the Dobrý Anděl Walkathon, a community event that brings together movement, service learning, and empathy in support of families facing serious illness. 217 Middle School students came together to run and walk in support of Dobrý Anděl, with 100 percent of all proceeds directly donated to the Dobrý Anděl organisation. For the past two years, this has been a special moment where the school community has come together to support one common goal.

In preparation for the event, Middle School students recently welcomed Petr Sýkora from Dobrý Anděl, whose visit helped bring deeper meaning to the work they are doing. Through his stories and insights, students gained a clearer understanding of the impact behind Dobrý Anděl’s mission. The organisation provides direct financial support to families with children or parents affected by cancer and other serious illnesses. This support helps ease the financial burden of treatment and loss of income during incredibly challenging times.

“I think it is really important to be part of an event like this. It makes you realise what people are going through and for us to be able to run and raise money for them to get the resources they need is really amazing.”

Anna, Grade 7 student

This year, Grade 7 students were on the forefront of planning the Walkathon, taking responsibility for organising and delivering key elements of the event. Working thoughtfully in their Advisory groups, they spent the past few weeks collaborating to design materials, organise logistics, and shape the many elements that brought the event to life. Their teamwork, creativity, and commitment were evident in every stage of the preparation and leading the event itself.

“Some students are making signs for the event, some are counting wristbands… There are some students making medals and also managing logistics and taking part in marketing efforts. It is really amazing to see it all come together after everyone has been contributing during Advisory.”

Kit, Grade 7 student

One beautiful example of this student leadership is the Honour Wall in the Middle School hallway. Created by students, it offers a meaningful space where members of the community can write messages about who they are running for, whether a loved one, friend, or someone they know is facing illness. It has become a powerful reminder of the personal stories that connect our community.

Alongside the organisation of the event, students also engaged deeply with the purpose of the Walkathon. Through videos and discussions, they learned about the lived experiences of families supported by Dobrý Anděl. 

The preparation and the time spent by Grade 7 students reflects empathy, collaboration and a growing awareness of the role they can play in supporting others within and beyond their community. Students brought passion, energy, and enthusiasm to every part of the event, showing a strong commitment to supporting a truly meaningful cause while growing as curious, competent, and compassionate Changemakers.

“On average, each runner completed just under 7 laps of the 1km circuit. 14 runners managed to break the 10km barrier within the one hour of running, with one student, Adam(Grade 8), completing an amazing 14km! With almost 1500 laps of the circuit completed, ISP Middle School students broke the 200,000 CZK barrier in terms of funds raised for our friends at Dobrý Anděl. Way to go, Falcons!”

William Mathews, Grade 7 German Teacher