Featured Events
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New Coaches Training
If you are interested in coaching Girls on the Run for the first time this fall, plan to join us for one of the following new coaches training sessions.
Sunday, July 29
12:30 - 4:30 p.m.
MICDS
Saturday, August 4
8 a.m. - Noon
MICDS
Contact Ashley or visit our website if you are interested in coaching or want to learn more.
10th Anniversary Volunteer Appreciation Picnic
Save the date! Girls on the Run St. Louis wants to recognize and celebrate all of our amazing volunteers! Plan to join us on Sunday, July 15 at Tower Grove Park (Sons of Rest Pavilion) for a family-friendly afternoon of fun, food, games and camaraderie!
All coaches, junior board members, board members and race committee members should have received an invite via email with a link to RSVP.
Girls on the Run Night at the Gateway Grizzlies
Join us for a fun night at GCS Ballpark, home of the Gateway Grizzlies with Girls on the Run.
Friday, August 24
7:05 p.m.
Field box reserved seats are only $10. A portion of the proceeds benefits the Girls on the Run St. Louis scholarship fund.
Purchase tickets here. Click on the Specialty Group button. The password is girlsrun.
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Why I Have "Sole"
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We asked our Solemates to let us know why Girls on the Run St. Louis has their "Sole." We received so many great responses from our supporters telling us why they run for our girls.
This month we're sharing the story of SoleMate Kristin Clark. Kristin has been a coach for four seasons at Ballwin Elementary and will be running the St. Louis Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon on October 27, 2012.
"Girls on the Run St. Louis has my sole because it has taught me all of the things I wish I would have known when I was a girl. As a young girl I did not have much confidence in myself and didn't always stick up for myself. Through four seasons of coaching, the enthusiasm of the girls on my team has helped me plug in the positive GOTR cord.
I have been a runner for years and running is one of my great loves. It is my time to think, rejuvenate, and just breathe. I have run in countless races and even a full marathon, but to me the GOTR-STL 5K generates an energy and elation in the air that exceeds any race I have been a part of. When the girls cross the finish line, you can feel the excitement and sense of accomplishment that comes from their hard work and oh how they celebrate. I wish I would have had a program like GOTR when I was a girl. I'm running as a SoleMate so that if I am lucky enough to have a daughter someday soon, GOTR-STL will be around to help her on her journey."
Visit our website for more information on how to become a Girls on the Run SoleMate.
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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 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 upcoming events:
July 15, 2012: Volunteer appreciation picnic
September 20, 2012: Lunafest, a film festival by, for and about women
Fall 2012: Health symposium
November 17, 2012: Girls on the Run St. Louis 5k race downtown St. Louis
Spring 2013: 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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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. |
Support our Sponsors
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Local Sponsors     Media Partner
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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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GOTR St. Louis Participant Wins Essay Contest
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| Inspiring entry garners attention and funds
Secret, a national sponsor of Girls on the Run, held an essay contest for which GOTR participants answered the question: "How does Girls on the Run make you fearless?" Of thousands of entries, one of our superstar GOTR participants in St. Louis, Eliza, was selected as a winner. Eliza attended Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School and participated on the GOTR team at Epstein Hebrew Academy this past spring. She'll be in sixth grade this fall at Parkway Northeast Middle.  Click here to read her inspiring essay. Eliza is a very talented writer and a fearless young woman. Here's what she had to say about being fearless and winning this contest: What would you tell other girls who don't feel as fearless as you do and are not a part of Girls on the Run?I would tell any girl what I think is the essence of what I've learned at GOTR--be yourself, because you, not just your body but your heart and mind, are special and unique, and if you do what you think is right, you will find the right community for you, and if you do your part, your existence might just make the world a better place. What were your thoughts and feelings after hearing you had been selected as a Secret Essay Contest winner?I felt shock, pride, and happiness, and I felt like what I had said in my essay had just been proven--that I am unique, and that if I do my best, I'll always, no matter how hard it is, continue with the help of GOTR. I felt fearless. In acknowledgement of her outstanding essay, Eliza will receive $500 from Secret and the St. Louis Girls on the Run council will receive $3,500. Congratulations, Eliza! |
Coaches Wanted!
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| | Do you want to make a difference in a girl's life?
Are you interested in making a difference in a girl's life this fall? We're looking for energetic adults to act as volunteer coaches for girls in schools across the St. Louis region.
Girls on the Run is a dynamic after school program that uses the power of running to prepare girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living. During the 10-week program girls are empowered with a greater sense of self-awareness, a foundation in team building and a sense of achievement. We inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experienced-based curriculum which creatively integrates running.
We encourage men and women from all over the St. Louis region to join in the fun, but are specifically looking for coaches in the following geographic areas:
- Ballwin
- Chesterfield
- Ferguson-Florissant
- Granite City, IL
- Ladue
- Manchester
- St. Charles
- St. Louis City
- University City
If you are interested in coaching Girls on the Run for the first time this fall, plan to join us for one of the following new coaches training sessions. Sunday, July 29 12:30 - 4:30 p.m. at MICDS (Ladue, MO) Saturday, August 4 8 a.m. - Noon at MICDS (Ladue, MO) The fall season begins in September and runs through mid-November. To view the volunteer coaching roles and to learn more about becoming a coach click here.
Contact Ashley if you are interested in coming to new coaches training.
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Girls on the Run Works!
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| Program evaluation proves GOTR makes a positive difference
During the spring 2012 season, Girls on the Run St. Louis, with the help of all of our amazing coaches, implemented a full program evaluation.
The evaluation 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 114 sites with 2,035 participants completing both the pre- and post-assessment. We had a 90% response rate in terms of number of our sites who fully and accurately completed the pre and post surveys and a nearly 80% response rate in terms of number of girls, which was very impressive!
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 her 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 of those who completed the pre and post assessment, the percentage who were satisfied with their body size increased by 11.8 percentage points (statistically significant) after participating in the full program.
Commitment to Physical Activity: Results show a sustained commitment to physical activity from pre to post intervention among the participants who completed all questions. This is a positive outcome as current research specifies that girls in this age range often have a decrease in physical activity (Trost, Pate & Dowda, 2002).
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.
It is very exciting to see data that validates that Girls on the Run works! We can say with even greater confidence that we are making a difference in these girls' lives and preparing them for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living. Thank you to our coaches for both helping implement the program evaluation and for the time and energy they give to Girls on the Run! |
Cardinals Game Recap
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| | GOTR helped the Cards bring home a winner
The Girls on the Run Junior Board held a fun summer fundraiser at the ballpark! More than 200 GOTR-STL families, supporters and staff helped to cheer on the St. Louis Cardinals and raise money for the Girls on the Run St. Louis scholarship fund.
GOTR-STL supporters attended the Cardinals game on Sunday, July 8 as they beat the Florida Marlins 5-4. Discounted ticket prices were available through GOTR-STL and included a free hotdog and soda. Proceeds from the ticket sales benefited the GOTR-STL scholarship fund.
Three lucky GOTR-STL participants visited the FOX Sports Midwest broadcast booth to get a behind the scenes view of the game. The girls were able to meet FOX Sports Midwest broadcasters Rick Horton and Al Hrabosky...and enjoy a few minutes in the cool air conditioning!
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Ready For More Baseball?
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| | Join GOTR at the Gateway Grizzlies Game, Aug. 24
More than one million fans have taken in Grizzlies games in just six seasons. Add to those numbers and join Girls on the Run St. Louis for a night at the Gateway Grizzlies minor league baseball game on Friday, August 24. It will be a family-friendly night of fun. The Grizzlies are known for their audience participation and will ensure everyone has a blast!
Game time: 7:05 p.m.
GCS Ballpark in Sauget, IL
Tickets are $10 each for reserved field box seats
A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Girls on the Run St. Louis scholarship fund. To purchase tickets, visit the Gateway Grizzlies website. Click on Group Tickets and then the Specialty Groups tab. The password for our organization is girlsrun. Reservations and payment are due Thursday, August 9.
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GOTR Presents LUNAFEST on September 20
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| A fantastic film festival is coming to St. Louis 
Girls on the Run St. Louis presents LUNAFEST, which features seven short films about women by women filmmakers. The films will be screened at a unique event on Thursday, September 20 at the historic Tivoli Theater in the Loop.
Established in 2000 by LUNA, the makers of the Whole Nutrition Bar for Women, LUNAFEST connects women, their stories and their causes through film. This traveling film festival spotlights the work of a diverse array of talented women filmmakers with intelligent, funny and thought-provoking themes.
Since its inception, LUNAFEST has grown from a single annual event to a coast-to-coast force with more than 150 North American screenings each season. To date, 92 filmmakers have been featured, nearly $1.2 million dollars have been raised and thousands of attendees have come away moved, entertained and inspired!
At each venue, 85% of the proceeds benefit a local charity and 15% benefits the national Breast Cancer Fund. The proceeds for this event will benefit the Girls on the Run St. Louis scholarship fund. We estimate the scholarship need to exceed $290,000 for the 2012-2013 school year. We pride ourselves in never turning a girl away, regardless of her ability to pay.
Event details:
7:00 p.m.
Tivoli Theater (6350 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63130)
Ticket price is $25 per ticket and includes film viewing and reception.
Visit our website or call 314.862.6266 for more information. View a trailer of the films that will be shown.
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