After doing the GOTR fall 5k with Ava, I decided I wanted to start it up at Stanley. So, I made sure we'd have some coaches and signed up! It was an amazing experience! If you've never heard of it, the program is "designed to empower young girls to believe in themselves and embrace their full potential as they become young adults". Girls on the Run is a 10-week program, training 3rd-5th grade girls for a 5k and teaching them essential life skills.
One piece of GOTR is a community impact project and our girls decided to help the homeless. They made posters, hung them up in the hallways, made announcements at morning community and over the intercom at the end of the day, and talked to their friends and families about their project. The girls made a goal of 500 food items and they ended up with over 650. So exciting! At the end of the season, they bagged everything and handed it over to an organization called Rock & Roll and Change the World. They even got to learn a little about homelessness and the kinds of people the food would be helping. Very proud of them!
A few weeks before the real deal, we had a practice 5k at school. Each girl had a running buddy and it was super fun! Parents and a few teachers came out to cheer them on and I think it really pumped up our GOTR team. They even received cute little medals and a certificate.
The real 5k was May 9. The morning consisted of smiles, laughter, nervousness, crazy socks, power poms for tennis shoes, colorful hair, painted faces, loud music, zumba, tired legs, encouragement, hugs, tears and accomplishment. Can't wait to do it all again in the fall!
We have tons of pictures from our season, but I wasn't sure if I should post them on here without permission from parents, so I did not. So, sorry...the pics are kind of boring, but the experience was not. :)
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| Some of the items that were donated at school. |
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| Starting to fill up the pantry to which the donation was made. |
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| They filled up these shelves and had lots more leftover that wouldn't even fit at the moment! |
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| A little energy snack before the practice 5k. |
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| Shoes and socks decorated and the girls were ready to rock the real 5k! |
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| Miss Ava did the 5k with my mom this time, but she'll be my running buddy in the fall. :) |
