Students and teachers from Lehighton Area School District's Franklin and East Penn elementary schools celebrated Race for Brilliance on Friday at Franklin. The annual event is now in its fourth year.

The event is held to raise money for field trips, more events and educational needs. The students raised the money by asking family, friends and neighbors to sponsor them in the race around the track.Those with the most sponsors won an opportunity to slime the principal at the finale and the two head teachers from each school, Jessica Bruch and Denise Gerber.Fourth-grader Joel Rose, 9, of Lehighton, was looking forward to sliming his principal Suzanne Howland. He said it felt "very good."Howland said her motto is "Work Hard, Play Hard."The children are encouraged to be brilliant students. Since they worked hard in school, they got to play hard on the track."We repay them with a little fun," she said. "A little slime goes a long way."Gerber said she didn't mind getting slimed."Anything for the kids," she said. "It's all about the kids."In addition to sliming the school leaders, the kindergarten through fourth-graders decorated grocery bags for a Red Ribbon Project and participated in Dancersize, Mask/Hula Hoop and Pumpkin Chunkin'. And of course, they raced.As the students walked or jogged around the track for one hour, teachers splattered them with brightly-colored powder in yellow, green, blue, purple and orange. The students were encouraged to wear a black T-shirt, so they could end up with a brilliant hue of colors on them.In addition to all of the fun, FeFe, the mascot for the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, was on hand for some photographs with fans.