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Northwood Elementary School held its first evening Walk-A-Thon for Education and Book Fair April 24.

More than 200 parents, children, grandparents, teachers and community members turned out for the evening event that ran from 6 to 8 p.m.

"It was an excellent turnout much better than expected," said Kim Gomez, treasurer of the Northwood Elementary School Parent Teacher Association.

District Four San Jose City Councilman Kansen Chu and his wife Daisy also came out to support the school with a donation. The goal of the event was to raise funds for the Northwood literacy and library programs.

Children walked laps around the Northwood Park concourse with parents and grandparents.

To make each lap interesting, PTA volunteers marked special activities on the ground for the participants to try. Many children had fun walking backward, hopping on one leg, skipping, and galloping around the park.

Many adults took the opportunity to set high but achievable goals with the children. Some families continued to walk laps in the fading evening hours even after the school announced the end of the walkathon.

One grandparent in her 80s announced that she intends to take up walking around the park three times a week to help her heart.

The walkathon raised $1,600 and the Book Fair generated a profit of $2,100.

The event was considered a double success because it not only raised money for the literacy and library programs at Northwood Elementary School, but it brought families together in an attempt to promote physical exercise and show families that it can be a fun family activity, Gomez said.