A Better Way to Bring a School Together
Before the Spirit Run, Hermosa staged a Family Fun Night near Halloween. Families packed the school for carnival games, including bobbing for apples, while teachers spent hours setting up and cleaning afterward. The event raised little money and took time away from instruction.
Caton believed Hermosa needed something simpler, livelier, and more profitable. He found a company that helped schools stage fundraising runs, and the first Spirit Run was born.
The company kept 30% of the proceeds and charged for prizes. After the first year, Caton and the parent-teacher organization decided Hermosa could run the event itself, host its own celebration, and keep more of the money for the students.
The Year “Critina” Raised the Stakes
The next year, Caton gave the children a challenge they could picture: Raise $10,000, and their principal would spend a school day in a dress. A teacher and members of the custodial staff made promises tied to even bigger totals.
The children blew past every goal and collected $15,000. They dressed a mannequin and posted their own campaign sign, promising a glimpse of “Critina” if the school reached $10,000. Caton kept his word — and gave the Spirit Run one of its most enduring stories.
A Family Legacy
Caton spent more than three decades in New Mexico public schools, serving as a teacher, coach and administrator. At the Spirit Run, however, the titles mattered less than the relationships he built and the tradition those relationships sustained.
“It does not matter what you teach in the classroom,” Caton said. “Whatever subject you teach, if you don’t build a relationship with kids, anything you say will go over their heads. It is the same way with employees.”
His wife, Carrie, a retired educator, shared that life of service. Their two children live in Artesia, and their grandchildren are growing up in the same community the couple spent their careers serving.
“I hope I mattered in kids’ lives,” Caton said. “I also hope I made a difference in people’s lives. It is great they kept the run going for 30 years. Many people helped get me where I am in life.”
JT Keith can be reached at 575-420-0061 or on X @JTKEITH1
