Seven Shelley Elementary School students took the ride of their short lifetimes Monday as a limousine arrived at the school and took them to lunch at Wingers.

They were being honored as grade- level winners in the school's Walk-a-thon held in October. Students took donations which were either a flat rate or based on how many laps they completed.

Claire Lemon was one who earned the honor.

"It was awesome riding in the limo," she said. "It was quite interesting actually, really good."

"It was fun, awesome," Ashley Bunker agreed. "I was excited to find out I was a winner and would get to ride in the limo."

The students found out at an assembly Nov. 6 who the grade level winners were.

The Walk-a-thon was in early October, then the students collected the money for the pledges they had gathered.

"We had daily reports telling how much had come in so far," principal Peggy Crandall said. "It was fun to watch the kids challenge each other."

PTA president Amber Barnes said the response was good.

"Our goal was $9,000," she said. "That is more than we brought in last year, which was $7,835. We told the students if we made our goal the custodian would shave his goatee."

Not only did they reach the goal, they exceeded it, with $11,478 raised to benefit the school.

The students watched custodian Scott Huntington shave his goatee -- one side at a time, in two separate assemblies. They had a bonus with Barnes's husband Nate and school aide Jared Gamble shaving their heads.

Crandall said she was pleased with the response.

"Our patrons were so generous," she said. "The kids told them how many laps they had done and they rounded the amount up."

She said she thought the good support came about because the parents, grandparents, friends and neighbors knew the effort would help the school.

"I feel like one of the reasons we got such great support is that every penny they gave us goes right to the school," she said. "If we sell something, then some of the money goes to buy the product."

"People have been especially supportive," she said. "It was exciting to beat last year's amount by over $2,000."

Crandall also told about the support the students gave.

"We had one little girl whose foot was fairly significantly injured," she said. "She wanted to do her part, so she walked slowly."

The students also learned to plan.

"It was a good lesson in pacing because the kids would run for a whole hour," she said.

"The students were divided into three groups and each group walked or ran for an hour," Barnes said. "They had the choice to sit and rest, but none of them did."

The class with the most laps will get an ice cream party. Fifty-four laps was the most any single student did. That honor went to Lewis Larson who ran the equivalent of six miles. Tyson Christensen came in second with 5.8 miles.

"We had a Hundred-Dollar Club," Barnes said. "There were 21 kids in that."

During the time the students were walking or running, there were parent volunteers helping to mark off the laps, cheer the kids and keep up the level of excitement, Barnes said.

Even Mother Nature helped, she said.

"The weather was perfect -- a little cool and clear," she said.

Third-grader Sarah Rogers said the custodian's goatee shaving was her favorite part.

"I thought it was pretty awesome to see him shave his goatee," she said. "But the best part was that I worked really hard. It is good to know that I did my best. I also thought the limo was cool."

Jacey Elzey, the kindergarten winner, chose the limo ride.

"It was good to ride in that car," she said. "I was excited."

The money will be used for several things at the school, Barnes said, including playground equipment, ribbon weeks and maintaining the school's second computer lab.

Grade level winners

Sarah Rogers

Sarah Cummings

Megan Rogers

Jacey Elzey

Ashley Bunker

Claire Lemon

Alicia Lawrence