A Touch of Magic

Girls on the Run, a non-profit organization that I feel great pride to be part of, wraps up each season with a Celebratory 5K.  During the ten week season the girls meet twice a week for practices that incorporate lessons about living intentionally by making positive choices with, of course, running!  The goal by the end of the season is for each girl to complete the 5K and celebrate their awesomeness.  When all 20 teams with 250 total girls come together for this event, the sight is inspiring and oozing with Girl Power!

We do our best to make this a fun and non-competitive event with hair painting and face tattoos, balloons and bubbles, and fun prizes topped off with a special finisher’s medal.  Generous people come out to volunteer, giving up their Saturday morning to brave the wet and windy weather, and these volunteers are what make this party possible.  Not to mention the 50+ amazing volunteer coaches that meet with these girls every week.

Whether you run, volunteer or just watch, I guarantee you will be inspired by the hard-working young girls, leaving with cheeks sore from smiling and bubbles of joy in your chest.  But I have found that part of what makes this celebration so unique are the individual moments, of which there are probably hundreds, that are just plain magic.  I’m always thankful to witness these little sparks of connection.

As volunteer coordinator, my focus is to get the dozens of volunteers organized and in place and also to match our volunteer Running Buddies with GOTR girls.  You see, we like to make sure that every little girl runs the race with her own personal cheerleader.  Often times they bring a parent or neighbor to run with them, but there are quite a few whose parents cannot keep up with their fast little feet.  Thankfully our community is chock full of people anxious to run with the little cuties.

Early on I was approached by a Mom and a frowning, freckle-faced little girl.  Mom said, “Ellie needs somebody to run with.”  Standing next to me was one of my dozen co-workers from the YMCA who volunteered to come out in the rain to support the girls.  Tasha, who spends her days making nutritious meals for the Y preschool, had never been to a GOTR 5K but was excited to be a Running Buddy.  I introduced the Grown-up Girl to the little red-head and they were bound together for the morning.  Strangers until now, they joined Ellie’s team for the Happy Hair Station, warm-ups and team cheers.

Following the race Tasha, normally a slow and thoughtful speaker, came running up to me with face still flushed from the effort of running 3 miles and began talking a mile-a-minute, or maybe three-miles-a-minute.  “That was so much fun!” she exclaimed.  She narrated the run with obvious enthusiasm.  She said that Ellie was a dash-and-walk, dash-and-walk runner, which accurately describes probably 75 percent of the young runners.  Ellie had seen some boys up ahead that she knew from school who had teased her now and then.  From that moment on she had a single goal – to get in front of those sassy boys and show them what strong looks like!  Together Tasha and Ellie worked hard and passed those young fellows with ease.  The elder told the younger to remember that moment next week and always, especially at school when the boys might try to make her feel small with teasing comments.

 

Tasha summed up her experience as a Running Buddy as the highlight of her month, at least!

A while later Mom and Ellie, smiles cracking both of their faces in two, tracked me down to say goodbye, and to thank me for pairing Ellie up with Tasha.  Mom told me that just the night before Ellie had said, “I’m NOT doing that run!” and was nervous and worried that she would be alone.  They shared more anecdotes and I told them how much that run meant to Tasha.

The connection between the adult Tasha and the young Ellie was a spark of magic.  They may never see each other again, but I’m certain they will be thinking of one another for a long time.  I don’t think Tasha will ever forget her small freckled friend.

I am certain that there was a virtual electrical storm with all of the sparks that happened on that blustery morning.  I was only able to witness a handful of joyful transformations myself, but that was enough to fuel my passion for this program and excitement looking forward to the next season - hopefully with more schools and more girls involved than ever.

The next time you hear of an opportunity to get involved with Girls on the Run, give it a shot.  You may get more out of it than you think!