Muskrat Mayhem Movement Raises Money, Gets Kids Moving

Above: obstacles for Muskrat Mayhem Movement staged for setup.

The Muskrat Mayhem Movement (M3), will take place during the school day on Oct. 12 in the field area next to Marble Elementary’s playground from 12:45-3:00pm. The event is an obstacle course specifically designed by Marble Physical Education teacher, Casey Bain. The event is being held to raise money for the school this year.

For many years the East Lansing elementary schools have participated in an event called the Fun Run, where students would run laps to raise money for their school. This year, Marble students and faculty thought there should be a change to keep everyone interested in the event.

The course is modeled after the course on the TV show “American Ninja Warrior.” It will include the quintuple steps, balance obstacles, a “cliffhanger” event resembling a rock wall and many more obstacles. There will be music, inflatables and the MSU Pom Squad will be there to join the kids in their warm-up and cool-down. Parent volunteers and an MSU group called Spartans Rebuilding Michigan will also be there to monitor and help the kids through each station.

“I knew that I wanted to revamp Fun Run,” Tali Faris-Hylen, a co-coordinator with Bain said. “It was just getting kind of boring to me, and I’m an adult. I figured the kids would want something fresh.”

And, according to the organizers, the kids are certainly excited. Leading up to the event, Marble hosted a spirit assembly. Principal Josh Robertson wrote a song to the tune of “The Middle” about the Muskrat Mayhem Movement. Teachers and staff at Marble also put together a fun video of training for the students, and Grammy-nominated group called the Alphabet Rockers are performing at a school-wide assembly.

Bain (pictured above) has also added preparation for the event to her P.E. classes. She is teaching the kids how they should approach the course and what the kids should do to get the best experience.

“With the older kids we’re talking about quality over quantity,” Bain said. “I’m talking about going through an obstacle course fast where you might miss some of the points of it or you might mess it up. You might not put forth your best effort. We talked about different ways to challenge yourself. Each kid will make it their own.”

The event, as it is most years, is a fundraiser. However, this year since the event isn’t being sponsored by a company, the school gets all the profits instead of a fraction. Parents and grandparents have donated to the website. Kids have also found ways, like lemonade stands, to raise money as well. The money will go to field trips, teacher supplies, Special Ed teachers, recorders for the music classes, iPads for the art classes and bringing a new golf program called First Tee to gym classes. Donations may be made here.

Bain, Faris-Hylen and many others in the community have been working on the Muskrat Mayhem Movement for months, so that the kids can get the best experience possible. They hope that the kids develop a new confidence with physical activity. This will be a new experience for the kids that Bain and Faris-Hylen hope carries on for years to come.

“I hope the students finish the event knowing that they can do things and can be challenged yet capable, so that they develop confidence to do more with physical activity,” Bain said. “It’s always fun to try something brand new. I think it will be super special for the kids to be active in fun ways they never have before.”