For a half hour on Friday morning, Oct. 9, there was only one focus at all four elementary school sites in Oakdale: move.

The annual jog-a-thon was hosted simultaneously at Cloverland, Fair Oaks, Magnolia and Sierra View elementary schools, with kids lacing up the sneakers, putting on their lap-counter lanyards and walking, running, skipping or even dancing along the jog-a-thon course.

There were a couple of different courses set up at the local campuses, longer ones set aside for the upper grade levels, shorter courses for the lower grades.

Youngsters spent the past few weeks seeking donations, as the jog-a-thon is a major fundraiser. There were various prize incentives for students as well, based on the level of fundraising.

With the starting time of 8:30 a.m. and the jog-a-thon running for a half hour, students got in their laps before the heat of the day kicked in. There was also music, encouragement from family members lining the courses and school personnel and parent volunteers were on hand to help keep track of the lap and make sure the students stayed hydrated as they made their way around the course.