BRANFORD -
You could say the kids at Walsh Intermediate School in Branford have pulled their weight. So Derek Poundstone offered to pull their weight. It helps that Poundstone is among the worlds strongest men, having just won the Strongman Qualifier at Mohegan Sun and the Arnold Schwarzenegger Strongman Classic in Columbus, Ohio.
Poundstone's girlfriend, Kristin Nelson, is a P.E. Teacher at Walsh and challenged her students to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, in return they'd be taken on a memorable ride. "It just came to me one night, we'll put all the kids on a bus and have Derek pull it," Nelson said. "Anytime I get a chance to pull something big its always fun for me so when Kristin approached me with the idea I said absolutely," Poundstone said.
For the students, Friday was both a lesson in philanthropy and in physics. One guy pulling a 32 thousand pound bus with 45 sixth graders aboard. With rope in hand and harness wrapped around his body Poundstone went to work, easily getting the bus full of kids on a roll. The feat was over before it started, 110 feet in about 30 seconds. "Altogether we're talking about 36 thousand pounds give or take," Poundstone said. Eighth grader Robert Blakeslee said "I really thought she (the bus driver) was driving but he was pulling it, his muscle is as big as my head!"
With over 11 thousand dollars raised for the JDRF of New Haven it seems everyone at Walsh Intermediate School is stronger for the effort. Nelson added, "I love that I'm doing for a charity, I love that Derek is getting exposed for good reasons and I love that my students are involved. Y'know they'll never forget this the rest of their lives!"
Poundstone's girlfriend, Kristin Nelson, is a P.E. Teacher at Walsh and challenged her students to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, in return they'd be taken on a memorable ride. "It just came to me one night, we'll put all the kids on a bus and have Derek pull it," Nelson said. "Anytime I get a chance to pull something big its always fun for me so when Kristin approached me with the idea I said absolutely," Poundstone said.
For the students, Friday was both a lesson in philanthropy and in physics. One guy pulling a 32 thousand pound bus with 45 sixth graders aboard. With rope in hand and harness wrapped around his body Poundstone went to work, easily getting the bus full of kids on a roll. The feat was over before it started, 110 feet in about 30 seconds. "Altogether we're talking about 36 thousand pounds give or take," Poundstone said. Eighth grader Robert Blakeslee said "I really thought she (the bus driver) was driving but he was pulling it, his muscle is as big as my head!"
With over 11 thousand dollars raised for the JDRF of New Haven it seems everyone at Walsh Intermediate School is stronger for the effort. Nelson added, "I love that I'm doing for a charity, I love that Derek is getting exposed for good reasons and I love that my students are involved. Y'know they'll never forget this the rest of their lives!"
