‘Girls on the Run’ Club Benefits from Annual “Cherry Creek Schools Fitness Festival”

DENVER - June 17, 2014 - PRLog -- Established in 1996, ‘Girls on the Run’ is a national running club program targeting girls from 3^rd to 8^th grade. Its main goal: self-confidence through accomplishment to create a lifetime of health and fitness.  “There is a large chapter of ‘Girls on the Run’ in Colorado,” said Michele Savell, K-5 teacher, Village East Elementary School and Club co-coordinator. “But it’s not just running.  It’s lessons built around positive body image, body awareness, nutrition and combating peer pressure – all issues we need to address in pre-adolescent girls well before middle school.”

Funds raised from the Fitness Festival enable Wellness Pilot schools like Village East Elementary to apply for grants from the Wellness Office of Cherry Creek Schools to cover costs associated with the running club.

“Participation in ‘Girls on the Run’ is $150 per student,” said Sarah Bowers, K-5 teacher, Village East Elementary School Club co-coordinator. “For the past two years we have been able to apply for a grant from the Wellness Office to make the program available to more students which has been wonderful.” Through the school district’s partnership with the Community Asset Project Board (CAP), monies raised through the Fitness Festival directly benefit health, preventative care and life skills programs benefiting all students throughout the community.

‘Girls on the Run’ at Village East Elementary has been, ah, up and running for over three years and will run as a group once again at this year’s Fitness Festival.   “It’s not just this one 5k we participate in.  We train and run 5ks all during the year, including a Veterans Day run to raise money for our military families,” said Savell.  “But the Fitness Festival is huge for us because of all the good the event does, not just for ‘Girls on the Run,’ but for so many other programs which make our schools and students better.”

Cherry Creek Schools Fitness Festival will be held this year on September 6^th at Stutler Bowl,

on the Cherry Creek High School campus, 9300 E. Union Avenue in Greenwood Village.

For registration and event day activities:

http://ccsdfit.org/

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Event Contact:

Renee Ortiz

303-840-0045

renee@eventfulpro.com          Cherry Creek Schools:

Janice McNally

District Wellness Coordinator

720-554-4247