GOTR 5K on November 18th with a Special Performance by Stephanie Grace!
On Sunday, November 18th at 9:30 AM, Girls on the Run of Berks County will host its Fall 5K event at Penn State Berks University, celebrating five years of inspiring girls to be joyful, healthy and confident!
Berks County, PA: Community runners and walkers are invited to join the Girls on the Run Fall 5K celebration on Sunday, November 18th at the Penn State Berks campus located at 1800 Broadcasting Road. This non-competitive 5K fun run/walk is open to community members of all ages and fitness levels. At the event, 332 Girls on the Run program participants in grades 3–8 from across Berks County will finish their first 5K, after completing the 10-week Girls on the Run personal development program at their local school.
This is the five-year anniversary for the local non-profit, which completed its first season locally in the fall of 2013. Girls on the Run is a physical activity-based, positive youth development program for girls. Participants meet after school twice per week in small teams of 10 to 20 girls with their volunteer coaches, completing twenty 90-minute sessions over a period of 10 weeks.
Girls on the Run of Berks County hosted first season in Fall 2013 with four teams and 60 participants. This Fall, Girls on the Run programming includes 21 teams and 332 program participants. Since 2013, 2,552 Berks County girls have participated in the research-based programming. The Girls on the Run program creatively integrates running as a method of reinforcing the
principles of goal setting, teamwork and personal accomplishment; and participants complete a 5K event at the end. The curriculum covers topics such as accountability and intentional decision-making, identifying and curtailing negative self-talk, resisting peer pressure and more. Girls learn to assert themselves in a healthy manner, effectively manage their emotional responses, and identify areas of challenge and confidence in their own personalities. As a non-profit, Girls on the Run offers this unique experience to all girls, regardless of family income. Last season, 49% of program participants received financial assistance to participate.
The Girls on the Run 5K will be held at Penn State Berks, with a special performance by Stephanie Grace, Y102 appearance presented by Tompkins VIST Bank and Berks Elite Training and a Performance Toyota Pace Car.
The 5K course route is fully-enclosed on the campus, to provide a safe and fun experience for all participants. Pre-event activities beginning at 8:00 AM will include live music from Stephanie Grace. Stephanie Grace is a 21 year-old country/pop artist based out of Douglassville, Pennsylvania, who’s opened shows for artists like Taylor Swift, Scotty McCreery, John Michael Montgomery, Josh Turner, Brothers Osborne, Hunter Hayes, and The Charlie Daniels Band. Stephanie has released two EPs, recorded in Nashville (Stephanie Grace EP – July 2012, Life’s Okay EP – Nov. 2013) and co-wrote all but one song between both projects. Her single “Loser” was one of the most added songs in country radio its debut week, and connects Stephanie to a cause that she considers vital: the prevention of bullying.
Since releasing the song in 2013, Stephanie has conducted anti-bullying assemblies at multiple elementary, middle and high schools throughout Pennsylvania. In addition to Stephanie’s performance, Performance Toyota, one of GOTR Berks Sponsors, will have a Toyota vehicle at the event for program participants to decorate with inspiring messages.
The Toyota vehicle will then be utilized at the start of the race as a pace car to kick off the celebratory 5k run! Y102 will make their first appearance at the GOTR Berks 5k event, presented by Tompkins VIST Bank and Berks Elite Training.
Other activities include: DJ Ben Smith of 5 Star Productions, a free photo booth provided by ROG Orthodontics, a free “happy hair” sparkle hair station provided by Salon Avanti, a free “spirit” station hosted by Penske Women’s Network, plus a host of activities provided by other local Girls on the Run sponsors. Girls on the Run of Berks County corporate sponsors
include The Junior League of Reading, Reading Hospital Tower Health, East Penn Manufacturing, Penske Truck Leasing, Allstate – Michael Schaeffer Agency Inc., Bellco Federal Credit Union, Body Zone Sports and Wellness Complex, Performance Toyota, Reading Pediatrics, RKL, LLP, ROG Orthodontics and Tompkins VIST Bank.
Online registration is open at www.gotrberks.org through November 14th, and in-person registration will be conducted at the event beginning at 8:00 AM. The registration fee is $28, and all proceeds from registration fees directly benefit Girls on the Run of Berks County.
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