Girls on the Run provides a supportive environment for girls ages 8-13 where they learn to work together, express themselves, and learn from each other. Teaching girls confidence at a young age helps them learn to avoid risky behaviors and make good decisions. The after-school GOTR program concludes with the girls completing a 5k fun run - not an easy feat for anyone!

I got involved with GOTR Bay Area as a Running Buddy for Montalvin Manor in Richmond. I joined the girls for the final practice and met Zarina, my buddy. We paced our way through the practice 5k, and then a few weeks later we were in Golden Gate Park in pouring rain running 5k along with hundreds of other girls, buddies, and other runners! Zarina worked really hard to complete her 5k, and I was honored to run with such a trooper.

I have been running on and off since junior high school, but I've never raced anything longer than 5 miles (and that was only once. I thought I had learned my lesson!), so this will be my first half marathon. Always looking for a challenge, I decided to join the You Can Run team to raise money to support GOTR.

Please help support these girls to build confidence and engage in exercise from a young age, and they'll be the leaders of tomorrow. It doesn't matter if you can give $10 or $100, every bit counts!

Thank you!!