The German Centre in West Roxbury teamed up with Roxbury Latin for its second annual freshman walk-a-thon on Saturday the 18th to raise funds for the non-profit senior living center.

The walk started last year – during a dour and unhelpful downpour – but the students were able to raise more than $9,627. With funds raised from German Centre Board, Executive Director Adam Ernst – as he put his own team together – and funds from The Cooperative Bank (TCB) and a host of other entities, this year’s walk raised $32,000.

“We more than doubled our funding, which is incredible,” said Claudia Mahan. “so hopefully over the next few years we’re going to see that increase and grow into our own mini-Boston Marathon.”

This year, the Roxbury Latin class chose to support the German Centre’s music therapy program, which uses music to help users recover memories and feelings that they may have trouble accessing now.

“We have a board-certified music therapist on staff right now, and she’s currently focusing on our Alzheimer's population at our assisted living and long-term care facility, but we want to expand it so everyone has the privilege of benefiting from it,” she said.

Mahan said that the therapy is amazing to watch.

“It works like a memory associated with a certain smell, like when you smell something and you say, ‘Oh wow that brings me back,’ with music and sounds people definitely start to remember,” she said.

Roxbury Latin Director of Community Service Jim Ryan said the students regularly visit the German Centre on Mondays.

“The German Centre welcomes us with open arms, and at some point we’re going to have to build a gate out back, because we share a border with our two campuses, which I think is more than symbolic,” he said, adding that the school is known for its music program, which is likely why the therapy program was chosen. “We are a music school; two-thirds of the school are actively involved in some kind of music program.”

German Centre Executive Director Adam Ernst said he was happy it wasn’t raining too bad this year.

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“But what’s really exciting is to see the growth in just two years,” he said. “We really want this to continue to grow as a community event, where we not only have the students fundraising, but also residents, family members, our employees, our employees’ family members, and the community at large.”

Chair of TCB in Roslindale Square, Philip O’Connor, said his sister has been a resident at the German Centre for about eight or nine years now.

“And I’ve seen Roxbury Latin year after year and putting up the posters from art class and the choral groups provide relief for people here, and all I can tell you is, ‘What are we doing next?’” he said. “So on behalf on TCB, and myself personally, thank you.”

German Centre Board President Genevieve McClellan said the center started as a support house for German immigrants back in the 1890s and officially opened as the German Centre in 1914. She said while Roxbury Latin has a bit longer history – as it was founded in the 1600s – she said she hopes the two institutions can continue to grow together through the years.

“I find that inspiring, that these started as just ideas, not established institutions, and so if we put our minds to it, we can accomplish similar,” she said.

Aside from TCB, this year’s sponsors included applied Form + Space, Atlantic Charter Insurance Company, Geriatric Medical, The Hartford Provision Company, LC Anderson HVACR, the Parkway Driving School, Minuteman Press, Louis J. Brudnick & Sons Insurance, Procare, and, last but not least, Roche Brothers | Brothers Marketplace.

For more information, go to https://www.germancentre.org/walkathon/