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Annual Scootathon Returns to Brooklyn to Raise Money for Bed-Stuy School

 Teachers, students, and parents from the Brooklyn Waldorf School will scoot laps around Prospect Park in an effort to raise $50,000 for the school.
Teachers, students, and parents from the Brooklyn Waldorf School will scoot laps around Prospect Park in an effort to raise $50,000 for the school.
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Facebook/Brooklyn Waldorf School

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — Parents and students are jumping on their scooters to raise money for a Bed-Stuy school.

Brooklyn Waldorf School’s annual Scootathon returns this year with the hopes of collecting $50,000 to go toward classroom supplies, facilities and everyday expenses.

Participants will loop 15 miles around Prospect Park and contributors can sponsor riders to donate towards the school fund.

The private school started the event in 2009 to promote environmental consciousness to families.

“It’s been amazing for us to help bring this eco-conscious model to city dwellers and the greater Brooklyn population,” said Irene Molloy, community development coordinator for Brooklyn Waldorf.

The Jefferson Avenue school is so dedicated to the alternative form of transportation that its first floor is home to a designated scooter hallway for teachers, students, and parents.

About 50 rides are parked on the ground floor of the Claver Castle building, and scooting is a big part of Brooklyn Waldorf’s culture, Molloy added.

During weekly coffee hours, faculty introduce the scooting element to new parents and families by riding around the gymnasium.

“Every time someone gets on it there’s just no turning back,” Molloy said.

Brooklyn Waldorf is partnering with several companies for this year’s Scootathon, during which riders can receive a discounted rate to order personal scooters or borrow loaners from the school.

Money raised will help provide an “economically diverse” environment for students by supplementing tuition costs, Molloy said.

While mostly school families and students will be scooting, Brooklyn Waldorf’s event is open to the public. To learn more or to make a donation, visit the school’s Crowdrise page.

The Scootathon is set for 10 a.m. on May 2, at Prospect Park’s Nethermead.