Westside Elementary School students got their 2010 Tiger Rally off to an exciting start on Monday with a pep rally involving members of the Demopolis High School football team and cheerleading squad.

The Tiger Rally is an annual fund-raiser held by the elementary schools through the Parent-Teacher Association to help the schools raise funds for different things. This year, WES is trying to raise money for new playground equipment. U.S. Jones Elementary School will have its Tiger Rally later in the school year.

Students will be taking donations or pledges based on the number of activity sets that they complete on the day of the Tiger Rally, which is Friday, March 5.

Students will go through a number of fun aerobic activities, including a relay race, a power walk, an obstacle course and a jumping jacks activity. Many students will take pledges for each activity set that they complete in each activity.

WES principal Connie Brown welcomed the students, and teachers Michele Tangle, Angela Alston and Stephanie Pittman told the students how to go about taking donations or pledges and let them know about the prizes that go to the top collectors.

The overall grand prize is a DS Lite value bundle with two games, while the overall second-place prize is an iPod Shuffle. Each of the top collectors from each grade will win a Razor scooter.

Those who collect $150 or more receive an art kit, while those who collect $40 or more gets a Westside Elementary dog tag and those who collect $10 or more earn a Rally arm band. Just for bringing back their parents’ permission slips, students got a lollipop.

“This is a way for our entire community to help,” said school counselor Laura Holley. “It doesn’t have to be just parents. Anyone can help our school.”

Those wanting to make donations to the Tiger Rally should contact Holley at the school at (334) 289-0377, ext. 14.