Cassie Mattia is a reporter/columnist and Assistant Editor of Loveland Magazine. She lives in Historic Downtown Loveland

Loveland, Ohio – Over the past several months’ many citizens across Ohio have experienced the effects of COVID-19 and MANY have stepped up to help out those who have been hit the hardest by the pandemic. The former President of St. Columban’s Student Council Paul Laufersweiler and his sister Emily decided they wanted to make a difference by introducing St. Columban’s “Virtual Walk-A-Thon!” Paul will be entering Loveland High School in the Fall and Emily will be a sixth-grade student at St. Columban.

The President of St. Columban’s Student Council Paul Laufersweiler opening donations and notes from St. Columban families who contributed to the Virtual Walk-A-Thon.

Every year St. Columban School partners with the Sisters of Mount Notre Dame to raise money for St. Julie School in Uganda. St. Columban’s Student Council, which is supervised by Chad Drinnen, an 8th-grade teacher at St. Columban, organizes fund-raising events throughout the school year in order to meet their ultimate fundraising goal. These events range from both basketball and volleyball tournaments to bake sales to $1 Out-Of-Uniform days to the largest event, the annual Walk-A-Thon.

Due to COVID-19 the school year was cut short which meant a number of the fundraising events didn’t get to happen including the popular 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament.

Paul’s mother Stefanie Badders Laufersweiler explained to us just how the idea of the “Virtual-Walk-A-Thon” came about.

“At dinner one night, we were talking about all the cancellations and when Paul said how disappointed he was that they might not make their fundraising goal this year for St. Julie’s, his little sister Emily said, ‘Why can’t we still do the Walk-A-Thon and just walk in our own neighborhoods?’ Paul loved the idea and so did Mr. Drinnen,” Laufersweiler explained, “Families collected and mailed check donations and also paid by Venmo and in the end, they raised $1,000 that St. Julie School will use for school supplies and other items that will create a better learning experience for their students.”

Check out the videos below of the Laufersweiler’s fundraising journey!

Paul introducing the Virtual Walk-A-Thon for St. Columban School!

Paul announcing the Virtual Walk-A-Thon results!

This photo was taken when Paul read a speech last November on Veterans Day

Meet Paul Laufersweiler

Paul just graduated from eighth grade at St. Columban School and will be attending Loveland High School in the Fall. He has already successfully auditioned to be in the marching and symphonic bands. Paul has two sisters, Emily, who will be a sixth-grader at St. Columban, and Amy who will be a Junior at LHS. Amy is also in LHS’s Show Choir.

Paul told us he may want to study science in college, however, he also has taken an interest in the art of communication so he may want to study that as well.

“When I was really little I wanted to be a pizza pilot where I would fly around in a plane and drop-down pizzas to people,” Paul said. We then asked Paul if he would throw the pizzas out of the plane like frisbees and he responded, “Yes, I’ll get a thin crust, real crispy, so they won’t flop around!”

Here at Loveland Magazine, we are so proud of the younger generation for stepping up and making a difference during these difficult and unknown times! If you have a story about an act of kindness that has occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic feel free to email us at [email protected].