The McCombs and Rethman families walk along the Prairie Park Nature Center pathway to help raise money for Prairie Park School. The fundraiser, which was Oct. 4, helps buy books for students.

Gone are the days of cookie dough and wrapping paper.

Some Lawrence schools are choosing healthy or Earth-friendly ways to raise money.

For instance, Prairie Park School recently held its annual Walk in the Park, in which students raise money for walking through the Prairie Park Nature Center.

“Even the prizes we give away are activity-based stuff, like stuff from the Chiefs and the Royals,” says Melissa McCombs, Parent Teacher Organization president. “Bicycles or scooters or jump ropes, that type of thing. It’s all activity-based.”

Plus, McCombs says, the Walk in the Park is a better deal for the PTO than selling something.

“One hundred percent of the proceeds go back to the school instead of to a certain party,” she said.

Prairie Park School, 2711 Kensington Road, also collects ink cartridges and cell phones. The goal is to raise $500, and they’ve collected more than 1,000 cartridges and almost 100 cell phones. Donations are accepted anytime.

Likewise, the Hillcrest School PTO made the healthy move to its fundraiser, the Hawk Walk, just last year and raised enough to repaint the Ryan Gray Playground for All Children.

Hillcrest PTO President Betsy Six said the change from cookie dough to the walk was based on a few factors, including the districtwide health initiative.

“I think it was also just a sense of going from selling anything to not selling anything,” she said. “Just this whole idea that we’re using our children to sell things and maybe we shouldn’t be doing that.”

Six thinks the Hawk Walk was so successful because people were donating specifically to repaint the playground instead of just to a general fund for the PTO.

“That was simpler and more direct and really what we were doing,” she said. “I think it’s sometimes easier for people to give money when they have something specific that they’re giving to.”