A Middleton teacher is raising money in the name of friendship, and he’s doing it by competing in an ultra-marathon — running for 48 hours straight.

For Ben Blessing, friendship and kindness are two important things in every child’s life. After all, the music teacher at Middleton Middle School interacts with kids almost every day.

“Something as simple as this can change someone’s life and that is so important,” Blessing said.

Blessing is talking about Buddy Benches. If a student feels lonely at recess, they sit on a Buddy Bench, signaling to their peers they need a friend.

“They have an opportunity to say, ‘Hey, I don’t want to be left alone,’” Blessing said. “…that they want to hang out with other kids and man, that is such a cool idea.”

Blessing is preparing for a 48-hour run at Eagle Island for Pulse Endurance in late March. He’s hoping to draw attention to his fundraiser.

The experienced runner says he’s still a bit nervous, but it’s for a good cause.

“My goal is to run 150 to 170 miles and we’ll see if I can pull it off, because that second night can be really, really hard,” Blessing said.

Once the money is raised, the two schools selected to receive the benches are Endeavor and Snake River Elementary Schools in the Nampa School District.

For more information on the fundraiser, click here.