Hundreds of girls will descend upon NHTI on June 9 for the sixth annual Girls on the Run Spring 5K Celebration. The run starts at 10:30 a.m.
The move to Concord comes in response to rapid growth of the Girls on the Run program, with teams now reaching all areas of the state. In New Hampshire, the number of girls participating in the spring program has skyrocketed by 63 percent from last year.
In 2012, 440 girls participated in the program. This year, 720 girls are part of 50 teams in schools around the state.
Executive Director Jennifer Hubbell explained that the run was moved to Concord because it required a venue that can handle the large number of expected runners.
“Plus, we are Girls on the Run New Hampshire and this is a central location for our teams coming from the Lakes Region, as well as Keene and the mountains,” she said. “No worries if you’re not a runner. With our new location, there is a place for you to volunteer.”
Volunteers are needed to provide assistance with event-day logistics, registration, water stops, course assistance and more. The event will need more than 100 volunteers, and all ages are welcomed.
Girls on the Run is a youth development program that combines an interactive curriculum and running to address the physical, emotional, mental and social well-being of pre-teen girls. Lessons provide girls with the tools to make positive decisions and to avoid risky adolescent behaviors.
The participants, who work with volunteer coaches for 10 weeks, train for a 5K as part of the program. The June 5K celebration – “to call it a race implies that it is competitive, which it is not,” Hubbell said – is the culmination of the program and is open to the public.
“The 5K Celebration is a fun and wonderful way to celebrate the accomplishments of these young girls,” Hubbell said. Funds raised at the 5K will support the growth of our New Hampshire teams, as well as to provide scholarships to any girl needing financial assistance.”
To register, visitgirlsontherunnh.org. To volunteer, contact Betsy Cissel at betsy.cissel@girlsontherun.org.
