Whitefish Christian Academy Headmaster Col. George Bristol began exercising Thursday at about 4:30 a.m. and by about 10:40 a.m. had completed 4,000 repetitions.

It was about six hours of hard work and discipline to raise roughly $15,000 for the school’s students, staff and parents who he says he’s come to care for. Bristol joined the academy just a few years ago after having served for 38 years in the U.S. Marine Corps.

He recently set up an online fundraiser asking people from “his former life” to donate to a cause that is part of his current mission of leading the school.

He executed a workout including 250 kettlebell swings, 750 reps of jump rope, 1,000 pushups, 1,000 leg raises and 1,000 club swings. He began his workout at home in the early hours of the day and then moved to a room at the school where staff and students joined him throughout the morning.

Between repetitions Thursday he spoke with groups of students to explain his mission. He admitted that when he first came to the academy he wasn’t sure he was the right guy to lead the school.

“But you’re very dear to me,” he told students. “Pushups are a small price to pay for the honor of being with all of you.”

Through an online donation page, Bristol set a goal of raising $10,000, but before he even set out to do one leg raise on Thursday morning he had raised $15,000, which works out to a $3.75 donated per repetition.

“When I started this I asked people to contribute,” he said. “I’m certain a lot of those people don’t have that money [but they gave anyway.]”

Bristol told his former colleagues and friends just how much he wanted to help the school in setting out his fundraising goal. He said the school loses children and teachers every year due to a lack of funds, and it’s his mission to do what he can to keep those students at the academy.

“What I have found is a group of incredibly dedicated people fighting to give our children a chance to learn in an environment that is safe, challenging, and looking toward developing leaders of tomorrow,” he wrote of the academy.

As he neared the finish of his workout Thursday, students came to clap for him and join him in a few repetitions of pushups and leg raises. Afterward he sent them back to class before leaning against a desk to reflect on the morning.

“We raised a lot of money for a good cause,” he said. “The kids are amazing.”

For more information on the fundraiser, visit https://www.classy.org/fundraise?fcid=1187332.