Right now, it's important to find things to lift our spirits and no one understands that more than our local teachers.

That's why the staff and teachers out at Caronport Elementary School decided to participate in this year's virtual Queen City Marathon.

With extracurricular sports cancelled now, they saw the importance of setting an example for their students on how to maintain healthy living.

After training all summer, Principal Joyleen Podgursky joined 17 other staff down in Wakamow on Sunday to get some exercise and inspire their students. She says that students have been disappointed to not have any sports right now.

"I usually teach cross-country right now but with extracurricular activities being cancelled, I said to the kids, 'Well, your teachers are keeping things going for you and as soon as we can get back up and running, we'll have all our teams too.'"

Podgursky says this made her crew eager to take part in the relay. 

"When I put the sign-up [sheets] on the board, I said, 'Okay, here's Team 1, who wants to do it?' It filled right up and then Team 2 did the same. But people were still saying, 'I'd kind of like to do it.' Then next thing you know Team 3 fills up."

She commends the spirit and drive of her team on the effort they have made to promote and maintain the health of themselves and their students. Podgursky says that especially now, in the midst of a global pandemic, encouraging activities that boost immune system health should be a top priority.