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New Coaches Training
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Save the Date
New Coaches Training
Are you interested in making a difference in a girl's life this spring? Spring will be our largest season yet and we're looking energetic individuals to serve as volunteer coaches for girls at sites across the St. Louis Metropolitan area.
Volunteer coaches work directly with 3rd - 8th grade girls to deliver the Girls on the Run and Girls on Track programs. Coaches lead the girls through fun and active lessons while helping them prepare for the Girls on the Run 5k run/walk at the end of the season.
All new coaches are required to attend a training session on Saturday, January 5 or Sunday, January 13.
Visit our website to register to be a coach or sign-up for training.
Contact Colleen Shaughnessy if you are interested in coaching or want to learn more.
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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 one of our superstar race volunteers . . .
Jim Werner
Jim became involved with GOTR when he ran the 5k with his niece in 2011. After participating in many different races Jim felt it was time to give back - and GOTR was the place to do it!
Now Jim serves as a member of our race committee lending his expertise to our planning. On race day Jim serves as a course marshal, helping to keep our runners safe and on track!
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Sponsor News
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Big River Running Company wants to celebrate the holidays with you!
Friends and Family Holiday Celebration
Friday, December 14
6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Big River Running Company
14047 Manchester Road
Manchester, MO 63011
Come enjoy snacks, drinks and holiday cheer. Running Santa will be stopping by for photo opps. and you'll have a chance to try on any of New Balance's fleet of shoes.
In addition, 2004 Olympian and creator of Good Form Running, Grant Robison, will be onsite to talk about his career and how Good Form Running came to be. And what's a party without games, prizes and special deals!
20% OFF AT CHILL
All School-Year Long!
Let any Chill Team Member know you are part of Girls on the Run St. Louis and not only will you receive 20% off your frozen treat all season long - you'll also receive a special "Chill Girls" punch card! Fill up your special "Chill Girl" punch card 5 times and chill for FREE on your next visit! Pick up your punch card at any Chill location.
ALL LOCATIONS:
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.
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Support our Race Sponsors
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National Sponsors
   Local Sponsors               Media Partners
Food Truck Partners   
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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 Katy. |
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10 Years, 10,000 Reasons to Celebrate!
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What an amazing year 2012 has been for Girls on the Run St. Louis! In 2012, GOTR-STL began celebrating our 10th Anniversary and the incredible milestone of empowering more than 10,000 girls across the Greater St. Louis Area with our life-changing program. This year we have so much to celebrate and the numbers are just the beginning:
- 4,809 girls from 209 schools across Missouri and Illinois
- 3,398 individual scholarships provided, totaling $275,000
- 1,500 volunteers coached, worked the 5k, sorted t-shirts, organized supply boxes and more!
2012 was a year of many milestones for GOTR-STL. Our bi-annual races, the largest timed 5k events in St. Louis, are now in their beautiful, permanent home in Downtown St. Louis - welcomed there in May, by Mayor Francis Slay and GOTR-STL Founding Council Director, Jill Indovino. In September, we hosted the first LUNAFEST Film Festival in St. Louis, a national film festival featuring award-winning short films by, for and about women. In October, GOTR-STL partnered with the Brown School Policy Forum at Washington University to host a health symposium exploring impactful health and positive youth development strategies through research, practice, policy and funding.
As we celebrate the wonderful year that 2012 has been for our girls, coaches, families and community, we honor the gift you have given in your time, support and commitment to make it possible. I want to thank each of you for joining us in using the power of running to provide girls with the skills and desire to become healthy, confident and empowered young women. We hope you consider making an end-of year gift to Girls on the Run St. Louis to help us continue our mission. Every gift makes a difference. We simply can't "run" without you!
We look forward to our birthday bash in April and I look forward to a wonderful, Superstar 2013 for Girls on the Run St. Louis! We hope you will join us in all of our upcoming celebrations.
Sincerely,
Courtney Berg
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One Step at a Time We'll Cross the Finish Line
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Do you want to get involved in Girls on the Run St. Louis but are unable to commit to volunteering on a regular schedule? We have many volunteer opportunities throughout the year that are perfect for the working (wo)man or a student on the go! Program supply sorting and counting Date: Monday, December 17, 2012 Time: 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Project: We are looking for 3 volunteers to help us count and sort supplies for the spring program supply boxes.
Location: GOTR-STL Office, 3130 Sutton Blvd., Maplewood, MO 63143
Contact: Colleen or call 314-862-6266 Coaches Training Folder Stuffing Date: Thursday, January 3, 2013 Time: 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. Project: We are looking for 3-4 volunteers to help us stuff training folders with information and handouts to share with our coaches. Location: GOTR-STL Office, 3130 Sutton Blvd., Maplewood, MO 63143) Contact: Colleen or call 314-862-6266 Supply Box Building Date: Thursday, January 24, 2013 Time: 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Project: We are looking for 4-6 volunteers to help us assemble supply boxes for the spring season. What is a supply box? It is a storage tote filled with all of the materials coaches need to deliver the lessons and activities to the girls.
Location: GOTR-STL Office, 3130 Sutton Blvd., Maplewood, MO 63143 Contact: Colleen or call 314-862-6266 |
Community Change With Community Support
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Josh Allen, Companion Bakery
Josh is the founder of Companion Bakery and dad to three Girls on the Run. Not only does he support the program as a parent, Companion has been a long-time partner to GOTR supporting our races and our volunteers. They have provided significant support to our mission and program as a way to help better our community - together we're empowering a generation of girls with the tools they need to change the world!
Here's Josh's story in his own words ...
What is your relationship to Girls on the Run St. Louis? When did you first get involved? As the founder of Companion, I have been an active partner with GOTR since its first event in Tower Grove Park. In addition to our sponsorship, I've had three girls go through the program.
What impact have you seen on yourself, your daughters and your relationships since becoming involved in this program? GOTR has been a terrific pathway for my girls to foster and build their sense of athleticism and community. It's that unique combination of leadership and self-esteem created through sport that makes the program so appealing to them and to me.
What is the history of Companion? How did you grow this business in the community? Companion has been baking artisanal breads and pastries in South St. Louis since 1993. We have partnered with numerous organizations over the years in support of people and places throughout the region.
What is the community engagement philosophy of Companion? How do you enact that with different partners? At Companion, we are passionate about supporting our community in positive and impactful ways. We do so through our involvement in a variety of programs, events and sponsorships. Whether it's providing lunch for volunteers or donating bread for a fundraiser, we believe that a socially conscious company - no matter the size - can make a meaningful difference.
Why did you decide to partner with Girls on the Run St. Louis through Companion? As the father of three beautiful, active, conscientious and compassionate girls, it wasn't a difficult decision.
What impact have you seen on the community through your partnership, if any? I've been thrilled with the growth of GOTR in STL. I'm amazed in looking back at that first small (200 girls) run in Tower Grove Park to the thousands and thousands of runners this past year downtown. Companion is incredibly proud and boastful of our ongoing involvement with such an awesome organization.
What is the most rewarding thing about your partnership with Girls on the Run St. Louis? Participating in the runs. I've been joining one daughter or another for the last few years on the course and it's such a high. To know that each and every girl grabs a Companion cookie or bagel at the finish is pretty cool.
How do you hope to grow Companion's community engagement in the future?
We continue to seek out worthwhile and community driven organizations focused on making the people and places of STL better and better - St. Louis County Library Foundation, Humane Society of MO, Trailnet, Slow Food STL, Operation Foodsearch.
Contact Katy Sommer to find out how your company can help us change the community together!
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Run for the Girls
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Have you crossed the line on your GOTR 5k and are now looking for a great challenge? Are you looking to run your first half or full marathon this spring? Bring the mission of Girls on the Run St. Louis with you each time your feet hit the pavement. Become a SoleMate and use the power of running to make a difference in the life of a girl.
SoleMates is the charity running leg of Girls on the Run St. Louis. Male and female athletes pursue individual goals to raise money for GOTR-STL. 100% of the funds raised through SoleMates stays in the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area to ensure local girls a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living.
If you are looking to add more meaning to your race, we encourage you to become a SoleMate. We offer discounted entry fees to some races - including the GO! St. Louis Marathon Weekend events - fun incentives and a community of incredible runners working to provide the GOTR-STL experience to every girl that wants to participate!
If you need that extra push, group training runs, a pace group coach or injury prevention we invite you to join the Fleet Feet Training Team as a charity participant with a discounted fee offered only to SoleMates.
Just as Girls on the Run St. Louis uses running to transform the way girls see themselves and their opportunities, SoleMates are changed by their experience as well. It is very easy to get involved. You can learn more on ourcharity running page. Register today!
Join our SoleMates Facebook group to discuss upcoming social runs, events, trail runs, fundraising opportunities, and anything you'd like to share. It's a great way to communicate with past, present and potential SoleMates or to see what's going on in our running world.
If you have more questions, please do not hesitate to call our office at 314-862-6266 or email us for more information!
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GOTR-STL Wish List
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Help us keep the cost of GOTR as low as possible
Every season, Girls on the Run St. Louis outfits each team with a box of supplies to use during the lessons outlined in the Girls on the Run curriculum. This holiday season, we would love "gifts" of the following supplies to help keep our costs as low as possible.
- Standard mailing labels
- Markers
- Packages of looseleaf paper
- Small mailing envelopes (6 ¾ regular envelopes)
- White posterboard (Large or small)
- Large manila envelopes (8 ½ x 11)
- Colored cardstock, any color
- Orange cones (tall kind, not disc shaped)
- Craft loops (the kind used to make potholders, available at Hobby Lobby)
- Clip boards (to hold letter size paper)
- 12" Beach Balls
- Packages of pony beads, any colors
- Packages of red, blue or green construction paper
- Yarn
- Marbles (small size)
- Balloons (12")
- Paper horns
- Popsicle sticks
- Band-Aids
- Individually wrapped antiseptic towels
- Individually wrapped gauze pads
- Non-latex rubber gloves
- 65-quart tubs with latches for the lids
Feel free to drop off any donations at the Girls on the Run office or contact us at 314-862-6266 to make pick-up arrangements. If you have any questions, please e-mail Katy Sommer. Thank you!
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