Girls on the Run Coastal Georgia and Lowcountry is gearing up for the Annual Fall 5K, celebrating the end of the Fall Season.  The event will be held on the campus of Savannah State University on Saturday, November 9.  Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and the run/walk starts at 10:00 a.m.  The fee is $35 for registration the day of the event and includes a finisher’s medal and t-shirts if still available. Registration available online www.gotrcoastalgeorgialowcountry.org and the public is invited to run or walk.

The Girls on the Run Pop Up Shop will feature attire with empowering messages and GOTR gear and accessories. The Kid Zone features Happy Hair Stations, games, food, drinks and family fun. Kona ice will be on hand and a percentage of sales benefit Girls on the Run.

The 5K is the celebratory event marking the end of the 541 girl-strong Fall Season. The girls are from 32 different sites in Chatham, Bryan, Effingham, Liberty, Bulloch and Beaufort Counties.   The event enables the girls to experience the joy of athletic accomplishment and serves to give them a sense of community with Girl on the Run Teams from around the region.  The program is for ALL girls and serves kids in public and private schools and from all walks of life.

Girls on the Run warmly welcomes walkers and runners from the community. 

The Fall 5K is sponsored by Sylvan Learning, strategic partner of Girls on Run, with support from CPPI of Georgia, Palmetto Financial, Peach State Health Plan and Step One Auto.  The Media Partner is WTOC Television.

Girls on the Run is a physical activity-based, positive youth development program that teaches key life skills to girls in 3rd through 8th grade through dynamic discussions and fun games that creatively integrate running.  Girls on the Run is for elementary school girls and Heart & Sole is designed for middle school girls.

Running is used as a vehicle to influence positive social, cognitive, physical, emotional and psychological assets and development. The program meets after school, twice a week, for 10 weeks, for a total of 30 hours of programming. The program’s intentional curriculum places an emphasis on developing competence, confidence, connection, character, caring and contribution in young girls through lessons that incorporate running and other physical activities.

Finishing the 5K builds confidence and the girls get a tangible sense of achievement as well as a framework for setting and achieving life goals.

Each curriculum is divided into three parts:

·       Understanding themselves and setting personal goals

·       Learning skills to foster leadership, team building and cooperation

·       Examining their relationship to the community, including development and implementation of a community service project

The life skills curriculum is delivered by caring and qualified coaches who are highly trained to implement the lessons.  Such life skills will prevent risky and unhealthy behaviors such as physical inactivity and negative body image and promotes good physical, mental, social and spiritual health.

There is strong evidence from an independent study conducted by Dr. Maureen Weiss, Ph.D, University of Minnesota, showing that the program is effective in driving transformative change in the lives of young girls. Girls on the Run was recently included in a Guide to Social-Emotional Learning developed by Harvard University.  Girls on the Run has also been recognized by the National Afterschool Association as one of the most influential after school programs in the nation.

According to Suzanne Moseley, Girls on the Run Board Chairman, “Girls on the Run is important because girls’ self-confidence begins to drop by age 9.  Over 50% of girls age 10-13 experience bullying such as name calling and exclusion at a time when peer relationships become more central to girls’ lives.  Physical activity levels decline starting at age 10 and continue to decrease throughout adolescence.  Our program addresses these issues and more.”

The cost of the program is $185 per girl and includes all program supplies and materials, snacks, 5K medal and t-shirt.  Children on reduced lunch pay $100 and kids on free lunch pay $40.  Payments may be split up. Scholarships are available and no girl has ever been turned away due to inability to pay.  The scholarships are underwritten by individuals, businesses, organizations and grants.

Girls on the Run of Coastal Georgia and Lowcountry gave out close to $60,000 in Scholarships for the Spring 2019 Season.