Sixteen lucky girls from Ruby Drive Elementary School received a brand new pair of running shoes on Thursday, Oct. 22, courtesy of the running brand Asics, through a partnership with the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Girls on the Run.
These third through the fifth grade students participate in the Girls on the Run program, a 10-week running-based after-school activity at Ruby Drive.
The mission of Girls on the Run is to inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum that creatively integrates running. Throughout the season, the girls make new friends, build their confidence and celebrate all that makes them unique.
Representatives from Girls on the Run Orange County, along with a team from Asics, were on hand after school on Thursday to present the running shoes to the girls, along with a backpack full of running-related goodies, such as a water bottle and athletic socks. Asics provided the fun fitness gear to the girls free of charge.
This is the first year the program has been at Ruby Drive. Last year, it was held at Mabel Paine Elementary School. The Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District (PYLUSD) hopes to expand the program to more elementary school sites in near future.
The girls, under the guidance of Ruby Drive teachers Alesa Kerr, Ligia Alvarado and Sofia Vander Kooy-Hervey, meet two days a week after school. They talk about life skills, including having a positive self-image, healthy behaviors and supporting each other, and then they go on a short run.
At the end of the program, the girls and their supporters can also take part in a 5K.
Ruby Drive is one of only four Orange County schools participating in this exciting program.
For more information on Girls on the Run Orange County, visit www.girlsontherunoc.org.
Click here for our Facebook album of the running shoe distribution.
Great job, Alesa and Ruby Drive!