FT. LAUDERDALE, Feb. 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — What began as a single idea to help one elementary school raise much-needed funds has grown into a movement that has transformed school fundraising nationwide. Boosterthon, the Atlanta-based fundraising partner best known for its Boosterthon Fun Run, has officially surpassed a historic milestone: more than $1 billion raised for America’s K-12 schools.
Chris and Lyndie Carneal founded Boosterthon in 2001. As the son of an educator and a former collegiate baseball player, Chris knew the power of sports and teamwork to motivate students. That insight, combined with frustration over outdated, door-to-door catalog fundraisers, sparked a vision that is now the nation’s leading school fundraising partner.
“We know that most teachers will spend $500 to $1,000 of their own money on their classrooms each year,” said Carneal. “We built Boosterthon to take the burden of funding off teachers, allowing them to focus entirely on educating the next generation.”
From that seed of inspiration, Boosterthon has grown into a national enterprise employing more than 900 team members serving over 5,750 K‐12 schools across all 50 states. Since it began, the Boosterthon team has positively impacted more than 25 million students and has shifted the paradigm in school fundraising.
Today, Boosterthon offers a diverse suite of fundraising programs, including the iconic Boosterthon Fun Run as well as Glow Runs, Dance-a-thon Events, and Color Runs. These events are designed to be fully inclusive, ensuring every student participates in the excitement regardless of financial contribution. By handling all logistics and record-keeping, Boosterthon removes the administrative burden from faculty, while its cutting-edge digital platform streamlines the giving process for families.
“Many companies can help schools with fundraising, but Booster offers so much more. Customer service and support throughout are stellar, but the real impact comes from the quality of the employees,” said Dr. Craig Barlow, long-time Gwinnett County Public Schools administrator who began working with Boosterthon in Georgia more than 20 years ago. “Beyond fundraising, the impact on students is immeasurable. Leadership, virtue, compassion and excitement are the cornerstones of the Boosterthon experience. Lives are changed every time the Booster folks come on campus.”
This milestone marks the company’s ambitious mission to profit schools $1 billion by 2027. However, beyond dollars raised, Boosterthon’s commitment to continual innovation shows up in the 2026 season with new programming and a new theme: Global Kitchen Club. Additionally, they’re adding a new event to the lineup. Fit Games is a high-energy, 35-minute school-wide fitness challenge hosted by Dude Perfect and designed to bring movement, teamwork and fun for all students.
Additionally, Boosterthon is introducing a new Reward Store where participant pages are pre-loaded with points and new Family Experiences serve as featured prizes in partnership with local and national businesses like Dave & Buster’s, Chuck E. Cheese and Great Wolf Lodge. These prizes reinforce Boosterthon’s hassle-free and engaging experience paired with meaningful and memorable rewards that include the whole family.
Boosterthon leaders emphasize that the true impact belongs to the schools and communities they serve.
“With nearly 1,000 team members at Boosterthon serving thousands of schools and millions of students each year, it’s important that we emphasize that the true impact belongs to the schools and communities we serve,” said Carneal. “Our ultimate aim is partnering together to achieve these milestone successes FOR students, families and communities nationwide.”
On February 27, 2026, Boosterthon’s founders will return to their alma mater, Westminster Academy in Fort Lauderdale, to celebrate the milestone of $1 billion raised for America’s schools and to kickoff the next 25 years for schools and communities to come.
For more information, visit Boosterthon.com.
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About Boosterthon
Boosterthon is America’s leading school fundraising partner, having profited schools and groups more than $1 billion since 2002. Boosterthon offers school fundraising services nationwide through fun runs, fundraising technology, spirit gear, product sales and more. For nearly 25 years, Boosterthon has been on a mission to strengthen schools by increasing funds and inspiring students through fitness and character-building experiences. This year, Boosterthon will serve 3.3 million students at 5,750 K-12 schools in all 50 states.
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- Boosterthon Events
- Boosterthon Founders, Chris and Lyndie Carneal