Featured Events
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Social Runs
Join us for a run and some fun with others in the community! We are offering THREE social runs in convenient locations - and our first one in Illinois! Three and 5 mile routes will be mapped and runners of all paces are welcome.
Wednesday, March 28
Girls on the Run St. Louis
3130 Sutton Boulevard
Maplewood, MO 63143
Ph: 314-862-6266
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 31
Illinois Run
Meet outside the
Collinsville, Maryville, Troy YMCA
1 Town Center Drive
Maryville, IL 62026
Time: 8:00 a.m.
Tuesday, April 10
Fleet Feet St. Charles
3813 Mexico Road
St. Charles, MO 63303
Ph: 636-939-0161
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Email us with any questions.
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GOTR St. Louis
Turns 10!
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Girls on the Run St. Louis is celebrating 10 years helping more than 10,000 girls in third through eighth grade in the St. Louis metropolitan area improve their self-esteem through a unique character development program that combines life skills lessons with training for a 5k! That's impressive, considering the program began on a Clayton park bench in 2002 with just 20 girls.
We plan to spend the next three seasons (Spring 2012, Fall 2012 and Spring 2013):
- Celebrating the 10-year anniversary;
- Reconnecting with alumni of the program and their families;
- Raising awareness of the value of the Girls on the Run St. Louis program
Pencil in these events we are planning:
April 18, 2012: Cover of Town & Style magazine and story
May 12, 2012: Girls on the Run St. Louis 5k race in downtown St. Louis
June 2012: LunaFest, a movie festival and coach recognition event
Fall 2012: Health symposium November 17, 2012: Girls on the Run St. Louis 5k race downtown St. Louis
May 2013: Pre-race grand finale event.
Keep an eye on our website, Facebook, Twitter, and this spot for upcoming announcements about our birthday party and how you can celebrate with us!
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Volunteer Spotlight
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At the heart of GOTR are amazing volunteers whose commitment and passion change the lives of thousands of girls throughout the St. Louis region each year.  Meet a team of superstar volunteers: Jennifer Carcagno and Michelle Oder. Both of these amazing women are Girls on the Run coaches at Buder Elementary in the Ritenour School District. Jennifer became involved with GOTR in spring 2009 while coaching at Buder (where she teaches) and Stanton (where her daughter goes to school). According to her, it was 10 weeks of craziness but she was hooked! Michelle became involved in GOTR in spring 2009 by coaching alongside Jennifer at Buder. Learn more about these superstar coaches in their own words: What is the most rewarding thing about Girls on the Run: Michelle: For me, it's a completely new vision of myself as a mentor, role model, and athlete. For the girls, it's watching so many of them find that same vision for themselves. Jennifer: Seeing the girls' families steering towards a healthier lifestyle because of what they see their daughter's are capable of accomplishing. It is very powerful! Favorite cheer: Michelle: "LOVE IT!" (while making a heart with your hands and "beating" it out of your chest) which one of our girls imagined a couple of seasons ago. Favorite things about GOTR: Jennifer: The anticipation of what color the program shirt is going to be, running down the Buder hallways on rainy afternoons, practice 5k's, seeing the numerous ways that girls can use lap counters (necklaces, bracelets, ponytail holders...you name it!), thinking of unique awards for this unique group of girls and celebrating their awesomeness! About Michelle: After getting a late start in my running life, I completed my first half-marathon (Disney Princess) at the age of 40 during my first season of coaching. I plan to return to the scene of the crime to complete my 10th half-marathon on the fourth anniversary of my first. I will be forever grateful to Jenn and GOTR for giving me the same vision of myself as an athlete that I am completely honored to pay forward to these amazing and beautiful girls! GOTR Note: Michelle has also been a fabulous SoleMate, the adult charity running program that supports Girls on the Run. About Jennifer: I love Ted Drewes, have ran 4 marathons and numerous half marathons, have two great kids, Gianni age 12, and Salvatore age 10, PLUS a fantastic husband of 15 years, Paul, who does EVERYTHING on Tuesday and Thursday so I can coach GOTR. |
Special Sponsor Offers
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20% OFF AT CHILL All School-Year Long! Wear your fall season purple or spring season sapphire GOTR program t-shirt to any of Chill's three locations and receive 20% off your favorite healthy treat all school-year long! Chill Wydown 7610 Wydown Blvd. Clayton, MO 63105 Chill Des Peres 11935 Manchester Rd. Des Peres, MO 63131 Chill Ladue 9793 Clayton Rd. Ladue, MO 63124 Sponsorship Opportunities: We are looking for companies to help us deliver our life changing program to thousands of girls in the St. Louis region. This means exposure to 5,000+ girls and their families, and 1,000 + adult volunteers for both fall and spring seasons, as well as visibility at our 5k race at the end of each season. If you're interested in becoming a sponsor, please contact Katy Sommer. |
Join Us, Follow Us, Share with Us
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If you have any questions or comments about this e-newsletter, please e-mail Katie. |
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I love Girls on the Run St. Louis because...
| | | I can fly like I'm free...I am able to be me!
In February Girls on the Run St. Louis hosted our first ever Be Our Valentine contest! We asked all of the 10,000 girls we've served over the last 10 years to tell us in one sentence why they love Girls on the Run St. Louis.
The winning submission was be printed on the back of ALL the Spring 2012 program t-shirts!
We are so e xcited to announce that our winning submission was from Emily Sielfleisch, age 9 and Girls on the Run participant at George Guffey Elementary in the Fox School District.
Why does she love Girls on the Run? "I can fly like I'm free...I am able to be me!"
This is the second season Emily has participated in Girls on the Run. Her coaches were so excited the contest winner came from their school.
We were blown away by the many submissions we received from current and past participants! Each reason was a powerful statement on how our program in helping girls get out of the "girl box." Thank you to everyone that turned in a submission. We can't wait to see all 2,600 girls at the race with Emily's powerful message on the back of their shirt!
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Be Your Own Superhero
| | Girls on the Run 5k NEW Location and Start Time
 Saturday, May 12, 2012
Soldiers' Memorial Downtown St. Louis
Fun Run at 8 a.m.
5k Run at 8:30 a.m. Our program is growing, and so is our 5k! Plan to lace up your running shoes on the second Saturday in May and join us at our new race location, downtown St. Louis. Experience our community 5k run/walk with more than 2,600 girls from across the St. Louis region as they complete a 5k. It's much more than a race ... it's a celebration! Registration is now open!
Click here to register online or to download a paper registration form. Run with a team or become a 5k Superstar! NOTE: All girls who are participating in the program are already registered for the race. Race theme - Be your own superhero! What does it mean to be your own superhero? How would you describe a superhero? What characteristics does she/he possess? Let your imagination run wild! Many girls will be sporting capes at the 5k. It will certainly be a sight to see.
Yummy Food TrucksWe are so excited to announce some new partners that will be at the race this year, some of St. Louis' own Food Trucks! We will welcome Go! Gyro! Go!, Sarah's Cake Stop, The Summer Truck and Zia's Food Truck downtown with us. Each truck will be selling a variety of healthy, delicious and sometimes indulgent treats to keep you fueled up for the day. Just like Girls on the Run St. Louis the trucks are homegrown and ready to support the girls. Help us welcome our newest partners and stop by when you're at the race We need more than 300 volunteers to ensure we have a fun and safe 5k. Please be a part of our celebration on Saturday, May 12 downtown! We need your help to make this event special for the girls. Sign up here to volunteer. Our 5k is not like any other - it's a celebration of hard work, achieving your goals and setting young girls on the path to a healthy and happy life! The race is a great opportunity for students, organizations and local businesses to come together and serve the community. Sign up here to volunteer with pre race t-shirt pick-up and cheer Cheer Station, Happy Hair, Registration and much more.  |
Data Validates Girls on the Run's Positive Impact
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| Study completed in Fall 2011 shows positive impact of GOTR on several areas of participants' health & wellness
We've always thought Girls on the Run makes a difference in the lives of girls who participate in the program, but now we have the data to prove it! A program evaluation completed in the Fall, 2011 season for Girls on the Run St. Louis assessed the impact of the program in its identified objectives. The evaluation was done through a pre-test/post-test method and assessed the following objects of interest: participants' self-esteem, body size (dis)satisfaction, commitment to physical activity, frequency of physical activity, occurrence of sedentary activity, and reasons participants exercise. 
The total evaluation reflected 62 sites with 974 participants completing both the pre- and post-assessment. Overall, results from this program evaluation were extremely positive and suggest that the intervention (participation in a GOTR team/program) has a positive impact upon the participant in several key areas that impact their health and wellness. Areas of interest: Self-Esteem: Results show that there was a significant increase in self-esteem from the beginning of the program to the post-assessment. Body Size Satisfaction: Results show that those who completed the pre and post assessment, the percentage who were satisfied with their body size increased by approximately 10 percentage points (statistically significant) after participating in the full program. Commitment to Physical Activity: Results show an increase in physical activity commitment from pre to post intervention among the participants who completed all questions. Frequency of Physical Activity: Participants reported an increase in frequency of physical activity and a decrease in the occurrence of sedentary activity outside of school from pre to post-assessment. Reasons for Participant Activity: The reasons that participants engaged in exercise when first reported at the pre-assessment were high and were maintained throughout the intervention (program). This is significant as current research indicates that girls in the assessed age range typically have a decrease in physical activity. It is very exciting to see data that validates that Girls on the Run works! We can say with even greater confidence that the program is making a difference in these girls' lives and preparing them for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living. Thanks to all of our coaches who are delivering this life-changing program in their communities and who helped us implement this evaluation. |
Girls on the Run St. Louis Welcomes New Board Members
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We welcome and congratulate the following individuals on their new roles with Girls on the Run St. Louis. Katherine Bergh, Board Member - Katie is the Director of Global Corporate Citizenship for Boeing Defense, Space and Security and brings strong development and evaluation experience to the board. She has been a Practice Partner at Griffith Elementary School in the Ferguson Florissant School District, but one of her first experiences with Girls on the Run St. Louis was as a SoleMate. The positive, engaging energy of the SoleMates Katie met on a social run in the heat of the summer two years ago led her to find out more about the organization and its service to girls in the St. Louis community. Amy Bender-Levy, Board Member - Amy, an attorney with Catholic Legal Assistance Ministry, joined the board with many years of experience both participating in races and coaching the Girls on the Run team at Green Trails Elementary School in the Parkway School District. A lifelong St. Louis resident, her extensive board service experience and passion for the Girls on the Run mission is already an asset to the board. Amy and her husband have two sons and a daughter who is a future Girl on the Run! Mary Ellen Hammond, Board Member - Mary Ellen swam competitively for 15 years, gaining an appreciation for the role sports can play in teaching the importance of teamwork, goal setting and confidence in young women. The Director of Global Marketing for Emerson, Mary Ellen became involved with Girls on the Run St. Louis by volunteering at one of its 5k races in Forest Park. The enthusiasm and energy of the girls and coaches inspired her to become more involved and we are happy to have her serving as one of Girls on the Run 5k Co-Chairs for the spring. Mary Ellen brings a strong background in nonprofit strategic planning and consulting to the Girls on the Run St. Louis board. |
We're Hiring
| | | Program Coordinator Postition to Open in the Coming Weeks
Please check our website in the coming weeks for information on an open program coordinator position with Girls on the Run St. Louis. No phone calls please.
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5k Superstars
| | | Add a little shine to your race in May - become a 5k Superstar!
Whether you are running the 5k as a family member, practice partner or community participant, you can help spread the word and raise money for scholarships benefitting Girls on the Run St. Louis.
Each 5k Superstar receives a personal fundraising page but has no fundraising minimum. Runners that raise $100 or more will receive a Girls on the Run technical running shirt. All funds raised benefit the Girls on the Run St. Louis scholarship fund.
Help us ensure all girls can participate in Girls on the Run St. Louis. We distributed over $290,000 in scholarships in 2011. With your help, we will be able to provide even more in 2012.
Click here to register to be a 5k Superstar. Contact our office for more information.
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SoleMates
| | | The Chicago Marathon may be closed, but we have your entry!
The 2012 Bank of America Chicago Marathon registration is officially sold out! Girls on the Run St. Louis has a limited number of bonus entries for the Sunday, October 7, 2012 event. Runners will be able to run and raise money for the St. Louis council!
Runners may register for this sold-out event here.
Bonus entries include...
- A shoe box of goodies, including a training guide and technical training singlet
- A private race-day tent with refreshments and private gear check
- Complimentary cheer-squad t-shirts for your friends and family
- Monthly social runs
- Your own easy online fundraising page
- Inspirational emails from Girls on the Run to keep you motivated!
- Access to a block of hotel rooms at the Chicago Hilton Hotel on Chicago's Magnificent Mile
- Discounted American Airlines airfare to and from Chicago over marathon weekend
- And much more!
Two fundraising levels are available: $750 and $1000 (which includes participation in the Fleet Feet Training Team).
When registering for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon as a SoleMate, be sure to indicate you are running for the Girls on the Run St. Louis council.
If you registered for the marathon under open registration it's not too late to run as a SoleMate! Run for the girls and help to support the Girls on the Run St. Louis scholarship fund.
If you have any questions, please email Rachel Zuellig.
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