In the days after walking for 24 hours straight on a treadmill to open 2021 and raise money for scholarships, Mike Jacobson, principal of Richards High School in Oak Lawn, lost his toenails.
So as 2022 began, he did it again.
This time, Jacobson didn’t lose his toenails or come out overly exhausted because he wore better shoes, trimmed his nails and started out slowly on the treadmill. But, he said, even last year’s pain was worth raising scholarship money for students.
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“It was horrible … I significantly underestimated how difficult it would be,” Jacobson said of last year’s effort. “At the same time, you’ve just got to go up there and suffer. I think it puts adults in a position to help.”
Jacobson said he learned “just how important it is for people to come out and do things and lead by example.”
“If you really want to bring a change to a cause, you should probably try to do something that involves people and brings them in,” Jacobson said after his latest 24-hour walk. “What I like about this is it’s a sense of community … it belongs to all of us.”
About 23 Richards staff members, parents and students kept Jacobson company, walking at various times, and helping him raise $20,000 that will go toward college scholarships for Richards students.
Parveesh Sweiss, whose daughter graduated from Richards several years ago, said she was determined to help out this year despite her sciatica. Sweiss, now a substitute teacher at the school, said she was moved by the need to help students at the school but also by Jacobson’s dedication.
“His office door is always open for the kids,” she said. “He has a heart.”
Parent Tina Zamlyski regretted missing last year’s walk and was determined to be there this time. Her daughter, Catherine, received a $500 scholarship upon graduating last year. Her other daughter Corrine, is a junior at Richards.
“Every little bit helps when you’re trying to get a child into college,” Zamlyski said. “And I guess because I was fortunate enough that my daughter received one, I just felt the need to pay it forward.”
Zamlyski said she had “sworn off exercise,” but found this walk fun.
“I was like, ‘What am I doing New Year’s Day?'”
A member of the school’s booster club, which also raises money for scholarships, Zamlyski said there’s a need for parents to become involved.
“Being involved, you just find out so much more of everything that Dr. Jacobson and staff are doing,” she said.
Like Sweiss, Zamlyski also expressed admiration for Jacobson and his hard work.
“He’s helped a lot of kids … that’s what it’s all about,” Zamlyski said.
Jacobson said the walk also provides a positive lesson for students.
“I think it shows them that we don’t need some superhero to come save us, that a group of people who want to accomplish something can work together to do it,” he said.
Jacobson is still accepting donations for the effort at https://chsd218.revtrak.net/hlr/hlr-walk-a-thon/.
Janice Neumann is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.