ELKHART — After 10 hours of working with clay, Concord High School students did not show the slightest sign of wanting to stop. For them, staying up for 24 hours was “all about the Riley kids.”

Students worked from 5 a.m. Saturday until 5 a.m. today creating ceramic pieces that will be sold in December to raise money for Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health as part of the annual Potter’s Marathon.

Bob Bieber, an art teacher at Concord High School who is also the founder and organizer of the Potter’s Marathon, said students have collected about $184,000 in the last 13 years, and this year they hoped to add enough to make it up to $200,000 total.

Before the marathon, Bieber picked 99 students to be involved in the project, some who were new to the event and others who had previous experience and wanted to come back. The requirement was for students to be in or have taken a previous class with Bieber. But he also looks for students with the right attitude.

“It’s all about integrity,” he said.

The team members collected money by going from door to door prior to the event.

With the fundamental message of helping Riley Children’s Hospital patients, Bieber hoped students would also create long-lasting relationships with each other by being part of a team focused on a good cause.

For Sam Leutian and Amanda Schoeffler, both senior students, staying up and working with clay was not a challenge at all. They saw it as fun to shape the clay.

“I like the idea of giving back and just the environment, everybody having fun and getting along,” said Chris Hartpence.

For Leutian, watching the event grow every year and its effect on the community outside the school has been her favorite part of being part of the team.

“Just watching us as a team, year after year, we just continue to grow, everyone continues to learn about it.”