Community Corner

Girls on the Run Begins 2012 Program

Chatham program meets Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Adolescent girls face a lot of pressures in society. Girls on the Run (GOTR) of NJ East can help girls face those pressures with grace and in good health.

The program, which has active programs in Chatham, Summit, Florham Park, Millburn, Morristown, Berkeley Heights, Mendham, Hopewell and Princeton, offers a 10-week training program to prepare for a 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) run. But participants learn much more than proper running form or physical strength.

Girls in third, fourth and fifth grades also build their self-esteem and emotional health in a safe environment while building toward their 5k race and working on a local community service project.

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GOTR's mission is "to educate and empower girls at an early age in order to prevent the display of at-risk activities in the future. At risk activities include substance/alcohol use, eating disorders, early onset of sexual activity, sedentary lifestyle, depression, suicide attempts and confrontations with the juvenile justice system."

The local council is one of over 150 in the U.S. and Canada operated by Girls on the Run International. The nonprofit organization uses a curriculum focusing on "how to make healthy decisions, resolve conflict, and get along in a group." Athleta, Secret and Goody sponsor the program.

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The Chatham program meets Tuesdays from 3:15 to 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. The cost is $185. Families who wish to learn more, including requesting financial assistance, can email info@girlsontherunnj.org

Triathlete Molly Barker of North Carolina founded the organization to help girls get out of the "girl box" — that time in middle school when girls "begin to morph into what they think they should be instead of being who they really are."

To make a charitable donation, visit the website or send a tax-deductible contribution to: Girls on the Run NJ East, PO Box 896, Millburn, NJ 07041.


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