Big Season, Big Celebrations!

Girls on the Run
St. Louis
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Join St. Louis University Women's Basketball and Girls on the Run St. Louis as we celebrate 40 years of Title IX and women in sports.

Join us for a night of basketball, sit with other GOTR teams, coaches and parents, cheer on the Billiken's and enjoy a fun night to kick-off your GOTR season!

Saint Louis University Women's Basketball

vs.
University of Dayton

Thursday, Feb. 28
7:00 p.m.
Chaifetz Arena

We have

100 FREE tickets to this game available First Come, First Served.

Call our office at 314.862.6266 and reserve your tickets today!

Order deadline is 2/26/13.

Celebrate Women in Sports with GOTR-STL!

Volunteer Spotlight

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 volunteers: Jenna Waldhoff

Jenna Waldhoff

Jenna is the Head Coach at McNair Elementary in the Hazelwood School District and a Superstar SoleMate running the GO! St. Louis Half Marathon in April.

Jenna is inspired by the emphasis GOTR puts on each girls' unique talents and inner beauty. Like so many of our coaches, she wishes she'd had the program when she was in grade school!

Read what else Jenna had to say in her own words ...

How did you first hear about Girls on the Run?

The counselor at my previous school began GOTR and I was a practice partner. When I transferred to my new school, the first thing I asked my new principal was whether or not we could be a new site for GOTR because I had such an amazing experience with our students and wanted to share it with more girls!

Why did you decide to be a coach?

When I was in 5th grade my family moved to Florida from New York. I was already 5'10 and needless to say, taller than all my classmates. Not only was I the new girl, but I had to endure 5th grade girls who were not the nicest and teased me and were not welcoming. I wish GOTR existed for me during that time to give me the confidence I needed to foster healthy self-esteem. I believe in the GOTR philosophy, program, the positive energy and how it impacts everyone who participates. I was determined to have our school as a GOTR site because I knew it would benefit several of my students.

Read more from Jenna!

Sponsor Offers

Chill Frozen Yogurt has a valentine just for you! Print this coupon for a FREE cup of Chill, Feb. 13-Feb. 28. Happy Valentine's Day!

And be sure to stop in to Chill Frozen Yogurt on Saturday, 2/23/13. They are generously donating 20% of their proceeds from all locations, all day to GOTR-STL! Be sure to stop in for a cup of Chill and help support GOTR-STL!

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.

Support our Race Sponsors

National Sponsors

Local Sponsors

Media Partners

Food Truck Partners

Join Us, Follow Us, Share with Us

If you have any questions or comments about this e-newsletter, please e-mail Katy.

February 2013

Kicking off the largest season in GOTR-STL history

Spring season starts next week with 47 new sites!

We'd like to welcome 47 new - and re-invigorated - sites to the Girls on the Run St. Louis family. These new sites bring the total number of Girls on the Run sites to more than 260 in the St. Louis region. Nearly 170 of these sites will be participating in the spring Girls on the Run season, which kicks off next week, February 18!

The girls begin the 10-week, 20 lesson program that develops the emotional, mental, social and physical parts of the individual to create a well-balanced, healthy person. The lessons encourage independent thinking, problem solving, as well as team and community building. The program culminates with a 5k event, which provides the opportunity for the girls to achieve their goal and celebrate their accomplishment.

Here is a look at the spring 2013 season by the numbers:

More than 3,500 girls are registered for the program
More than 1,140 coaches will inspire the girls each day at practice
170 sites, mostly schools, are hosting teams

Henry Raab F13 5k

The following sites will have Girls on the Run (typically 3-5 grades) or Girls on Track (typically 6-8 grades) teams for the first time this spring:

Antonia Middle (Barnhart, MO)

Avery Elementary (Webster Groves, MO)

Barrington Elementary (Florissant, MO)

Bermuda Elementary (St. Louis, MO)

Bryan Middle (St. Charles, MO)

Cedar Springs Elementary (House Springs, MO)

Dorris Intermediate (Collinsville, IL)

Duchesne Elementary (Florissant, MO)

Dupo Junior High (Dupo, IL)

Ellisville Elementary (Ellisville, MO) - Re-Invigorated!

Estelle Kampmeyer
Elementary (O'Fallon, IL)

Evans Elementary (O'Fallon, IL)

Franklin Elementary (Belleville, IL)

Grafton Elementary (Grafton, IL)

High Ridge Elementary (High Ridge, MO)

Hillsboro Elementary (Hillsboro, MO)

Hinchcliffe Elementary (O'Fallon, IL)

Hodge Elementary (Imperial, MO)

Illini Elementary (Fairview Heights, IL)

Jefferson Intermediate School (St. Charles, MO)

Ladue Middle (Ladue, MO) - Re-Invigorated!

Little Flower School (Richmond Heights, MO)

Margaret Buerkle Middle (St. Louis, MO)

Marion Elementary (Overland, MO)

Marvin Elementary (St. John, MO)

McCurdy Elementary (Florissant, MO)

Mission: St. Louis (St. Louis, MO)

Oakville Middle (St. Louis, MO)

Orchard Farm (St. Charles, MO)

Our Lady Queen of Peace (Bethalto, IL)

Owensville Middle (Owensville, MO)

Parkview Elementary (Columbia, IL)

Rockwood South Middle (Fenton, MO)

Rockwood Valley Middle (Glencoe, MO)

Russell Elementary (Hazelwood, MO)

Sacred Heart School (Troy, MO)

South Point Elementary (Washington, MO)

St. Ambrose on The Hill (St. Louis, MO)

St. John Lutheran School (Ellisville, MO)

St. Teresa School (Belleville, IL)

Sts. Joachim & Ann School (St. Charles, MO)

Sullivan Elementary (Sullivan, MO)

The St. Michael School of Clayton (Clayton, MO)

Washington West Elementary (Washington, MO)

Windsor Intermediate School (Imperial, MO)

Wren Hollow Elementary (Manchester, MO)

Wright City West Elementary (Wright City, MO)

We are so excited that even more girls in the St. Louis region will get to experience the power of the Girls on the Run program!

For information on starting a team at your school, click here. We are now accepting applications for the Fall 2013 season.

Run for the Girls

Bank of America Chicago Marathon

We are excited to announce that Girls on the Run is a Partner-level charity of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday October 13, 2012. This means runners from St. Louis can participate in the marathon as a SoleMate and raise money for the GOTR-STL Scholarship Program!

Here is how run the Chicago Marathon as a SoleMate:

Chicago Marathon registration opens next Tuesday, 2/19 at 12 p.m. CST. To register for the race, runners should visit www.chicagomarathon.com.
After registering for the marathon, visit our website and register to become a SoleMate, agreeing to raise a minimum of $300 for GOTR-STL.

What you get as a SoleMate:

SoleMates technical shirt.
Online training plan for any level developed by Jenny Hadfield, co-author of the best-selling book "Marathoning for Mortals."
Personal online fundraising page.
Creative incentive prizes as you reach and surpass your minimums.
Inspirational and informative e-newsletter from GOTR-STL.
Special social runs with fellow SoleMates.
A sense of pride from making a difference in the lives of girls.
Free Pasta Party the night before the marathon with SoleMates from across the country.
Use of the GOTR Chicago heated race day venue with private gear check and food for friends and family.

Now, here is the catch! The race sold out in a matter of days last year, and may sell out in hours this year - so be sure to register on 2/19/12 as soon as the race opens at noon!

Feel free to contact Katy Sommer with any questions you may have about the Bank of America Chicago Marathon or SoleMates.

Transforming the community together

Amy Koman, Chill Frozen Yogurt

Each semester, the Bill & Amy Koman Award for Excellence in Community Service is given to the teams that best demonstrate creativity, teamwork and shared commitment in planning and executing their community service project. This award is given in honor of Bill and Amy Koman whose tireless support of Girls on the Run St. Louis and generosity throughout the St. Louis community exemplifies a true commitment to improving the lives of others.

In addition to their tireless support of the St. Louis community, Amy is the founder of Chill Frozen Yogurt and mom to three Girls on the Run. Not only does she support the program as a parent, Chill Frozen Yogurt 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 Amy's story in her own words...

What is your relationship to Girls on the Run St. Louis? When did you first get involved? All of our girls have participated in the Girls on the Run program. Nicole, age 15, entered her first race at age 6 and started the program in the 3rd grade, and as a family we would all participate in the races. So that means Laine, age 13, and Blaire, age 11, began running the races at a very young age.

What impact have you seen on yourself, your daughters and your relationships since becoming involved in this program? Because of the GOTR influence, which coincides with our family values, our daughters have developed a love of sports. As a family, we continue to run today as part of our active lifestyle. In addition, I have served on the GOTR-STL board for three years, spearheading several large fundraisers and currently serve on the GOTR-STL Advisory Board.

What is the history of Chill Frozen Yogurt? How did you grow this business in the community? The inspiration for Chill Frozen Yogurt came from a trendy concept from Southern California that we fell in love with and wanted to bring back to St. Louis. We saw this as a good business opportunity as well as one in which our girls could participate. As owners of Chill, the girls are learning the principles of business development and the value of giving back to the community.

What is the community engagement philosophy of Chill Frozen Yogurt? Our business is to serve the community. We believe that excellence in product and involvement in the good of the community is a win-win. From day one we have donated a portion of all proceeds to Friends of Kids with Cancer. We are sponsors for GOTR-STL, COCA Summer Camps for Kids, Ride For a Child Program with Pedal the Cause, and exclusive fundraisers with Washington University student and community organizations. In our promotions we continue to give these different partners access to store events, special offerings, etc.

Why did you decide to partner with Girls on the Run St. Louis through Chill Frozen Yogurt? The GOTR-STL program is a perfect fit for the values behind Chill Frozen Yogurt...healthy lifestyle and community involvement. It's our belief that our partnership with GOTR-STL helps spread the word on the value of the program.

What is the most rewarding thing about your partnership with Girls on the Run St. Louis? Why would you recommend others partner with Girls on the Run St. Louis? There are lots of rewarding aspects about partnering with GOTR-STL. But the basic reward to us is the satisfying feeling of unity with a happy and successful school program and family event. We would tell others we can think of nothing better than sponsoring an organization dedicated to self-respect and a healthy lifestyle, and last but not least family fun!

As we celebrate 10 years and serving more than 10,000 girls we couldn't have done it without the support of partners like Amy and Chill Frozen Yogurt. We look forward to serving the community for another 10 years.

Contact Katy Sommer to find out how your company can help us change the community together!

Thanks again for your support. We can't run without you!

Sincerely,

Girls on the Run St. Louis Staff