• Fourth Annual Kids Kick It for Cancer:  Decatur Toy Park, Decatur, GA. Saturday, May 11, 2013, at 11:00 a.m. Kids ages 2-16 are welcome. All participants with paid registration will receive a tshirt and medal.  Race proceeds benefit The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. For more information and to register, click here.

• Crocodile Crawl 5K: Fellowship Bible Church, Roswell, GA. Saturday, May 11, 2013, at 8:00 a.m. The Crocodile Crawl is a 5k walk/run to benefit the Freedom Project; a way to raise money and show support for at-risk children in Cambodia. Race proceeds benefit The Freedom Project, which raises funds for young victims of trafficking and abuse in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.  For more information and to register, click here.

• Brunch Run 5K:  Piedmont Park, Atlanta, GA. Saturday, May 11, 2013, at 9:00 a.m. Inagural Atlanta Brunch Run – limited to the first 1,000 entries. Post-Race brunch catered by Edwards Brother’s Barbecue and San Francisco Coffee Company. Race proceeds benefit Open Hand. For more information and to register, click here.

If you have a race you’d like to submit to this blog, please email the race information to info@girlsontherunatlanta.org.

The back story: Matt has Spastic Cerebral Palsy, but opted to run in Field Day at Colonial Hills Elementary School despite being given the option to sit it out and despite the incredible challenge of his disability. What transpires is a boy who is filled with determination and a school of children who spontaneously come together and inspire Matt and everyone of us to do and be better.

Grab a box of tissues and watch the magic happen.

GOTR SuperStar (pronounced aw-suhm) 

-— n  one who rises above the crowd to give of his or her time/money to sponsor a Girl on the Run participant, a person of distinction and honor

Join us at the Girls on the Run Spring 5K this Saturday, April 27, 2013, at 8:00 a.m. at West Stride. 

Girls on the Run 5K Superstars pay a race entry fee of $125 (general registration $25). The additional funds will be used for GOTR scholarships for Girls on the Run participants.

SuperStars receive the same benefits as general registration (refreshments, goody bag, lunch tote) plus:

• a  West Stride technical tee
• a Girls on the Run running hat
• a gift certificate for a sports massage from Georgia Sports Massage
• entered into a drawing for a refurbished 405 Garmin watch
• an extra spring in your step as you run the 5k knowing that you helped make it possible for one of our participants to be a part of GOTR
• ($100 is tax-deductible)

So register now to become a SuperStar – you’ll play a vital role in ensuring the future success of Girls on the Run programs that impact the lives of thousands of young women in metro Atlanta every year.

Spring 5K Online registration ends at Midnight Wednesday, April 24, 2013.

Packet Pick Up and/or in-store registration is at West Stride:

• Thursday, April 25 from 4p – 7p
• Friday, April 26 from 11 a – 7p

Happy Running. We’ll see you this Saturday!

Questions about SuperStars? Email info@girlsontherunatlanta.org

Bring your gently used sneakers to West Stride this weekend and fill the 1-800-GOT-JUNK? truck with Sneakers for GOTR

Runner’s World recommends replacing running shoes every 300 to 400 miles depending on your running style, body weight and the surface on which you run. That could be two, three or more times a year.

You only need one pair of old shoes for yard work or honey-do projects, so what to do with those old shoes? Recycle them, give them to a local charity, leave them in the basement till they rot or use them for planters in the backyard?

According to GreenLiving, traditionally made shoes have a high environmental cost. Not only do they use a substantial  amount of virgin materials, which use many resources to grow and manufacture, but they are difficult to recycle. Many shoes are made of multiple components, for instance leather, plastic, rubber and resin, each of which has special recycling requirements. Many recycling facilities including the City of Atlanta, do not accept shoes for recycling, which means that the shoes will end up in a landfill.

Enter GreenSneakers, a non-profit that collects used tennis shoes in the US and makes them available as affordable footwear in developing countries or given to agencies handling large scale disaster and humanitarian relief efforts.

GreenSneakers drive at GOTR 5K

Girls on the Run of Atlanta (GOTR) has partnered with GreenSneakers for the past three seasons in an effort to keep those running shoes out of landfills, as well as to raise funds for GOTR. GreenSneakers pays charities such as GOTR 50 cents a pound for the sneakers; a pair of adult running shoes averages around two pounds, which averages $1 per pair for GOTR. The shoes, and the funds, add up. Since 2011, GOTR has collected 4,801 pairs of shoes, raising $2,400.50 for GOTR. With these funds, we were able to provide 14 scholarships for GOTR girls!

The Galloway School Student Allana with her sneaker collection

Doug Bartels, Executive Director of GreenSneakers, says, “GreenSneakers is a simple, effective and conscientious way to meet local and global needs. It just makes sense to reuse what we have, in this case reusing tennis shoes to help people in some of the poorer countries throughout the world. We value our partnership with Girls on the Run of Atlanta and are proud to support their 5Ks and the work that they do locally in Atlanta. It’s great to see the mound of running shoes that you collect at your 5ks. Keep up the good work.”

If you have old sneakers in your closet, now is the time to give them a new life with GreenSneakers and Girls on the Run of Atlanta. 

• Bring your used sneakers to West Stride and fill up the 1-800-Got Junk? Truck during Earth Day Weekend, April 19-21.
• Bring your used sneakers to the Girls on the Run of Atlanta Spring 5K on April 27^th. You can drop them off with GreenSneakers in the Northcreek Parking Lot between 7 am and 8 am.
• Join companies like Piedmont Healthcare and ING and host your own GreenSneakers drive at your office or school any time of the year. We’ll coordinate a shoe pick up at your location(s). Email info@girlsontherunatlanta.org for more information. 

Georgia Tech Women’s Athletes Sneaker Drive

• Run With the Wolves 5K, 1Mile and Health Fair:  Ormewood Park, Atlanta, GA. Saturday, April 20, 2013, at 8:30 a.m. The race and health fair  combines a desire to promote healthy lifestyle choices and fitness awareness into one fun and sweaty event. Race proceeds benefit the Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School. For more information and to register, click here.

• Patch Dash 5K: Emory Village, Atlanta, GA. Saturday, April 20, 2013, at 7:30 a.m. 5K run/walk begins and ends in Emory Village. Tot Trot for kids 5 & under. Race proceeds benefit Press On To Cure Childhood Cancer.  For more information and to register, click here.

• The Big Squeeze 5K:  Brook Run Park, Dunwoody, GA. Saturday, April 20, 2013, at 8:00 a.m. All speeds, ages, shapes, and sizes are invited to enjoy a morning run that ends at the
  Lemonade Days Festival with rides, music, food, and concerts. Race proceeds benefit the Dunwoody Preservation Trust. For more information and to register, click here.

If you have a race you’d like to submit to this blog, please email the race information to info@girlsontherunatlanta.org.

Register now for the Girls on the Run of Atlanta Spring 5K on April 27th, 8:00 am at West Stride. 

• Knock Out Cancer 5K: Merchants Walk, Roswell, GA. Saturday, April 6, 2013, at 8:30 a.m. Kid friendly, family friendly, pet friendly.  All proceeds benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), the world’s largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education and patient services. For more information and to register, click here.

• 5K Latino Walk for Health: Buford Highway, Atlanta, GA. Sunday, April 7, 2013, at 8:00 a.m. Walk, run or skip. Let’s walk together to fight obesity and promote health among Latinos in Georgia on World Health Day. Proceeds from this event benefit the Hispanic Health Coalition of Georgia. For more information and to register, click here.

• Fight for Air Climb Atlanta:  191 Peachtree Tower, Atlanta, GA. Saturday, April 6, 2013, at 8:00 a.m. It’s more than a walk. It’s more than a run. It’s a unique challenge, an adventure…an accomplishment! It’s a chance to go vertical with hundreds of participants in the American Lung Association’s 2013 Fight For Air Climb Atlanta.  For more information and to register, click here.

If you have a race you’d like to submit to this blog, please email the race information to info@girlsontherunatlanta.org.

Register now for the Girls on the Run of Atlanta Spring 5K on April 27th, 8:00 am at West Stride. 

• RaceTrac’s Run for Research 5K: Vinings, GA. Saturday, March 30, 2013, at 8:00 a.m. Family friendly race open to all levels. All proceeds, including 100% of registration fees, will go directly to fund the Fox Foundation’s support of Parkinson’s research. For more information and to register, click here.

• Dental Dash at Dawn 5K: Old Fourth Ward, Atlanta, GA. Saturday, March 30, 2013, at 8:00 a.m. Dental Dash for Disabilities is a 5K Run/Walk benefiting children and adults with developmental disabilities. Proceeds from this event will help provide dental treatment for the under served and for agency expansion. Peachtree Road Race qualifier. GOTR families and friends can save $5 – use code DDK2013. For more information, click here.

• Suwanee 5K Easter Bunny High Tail:  Level Creek, Suwanee, GA. Saturday, March 30, 2013, at 8:00 a.m. 5K, Fun Run, followed by and Easter Egg Hunt. All proceeds from the “Easter Bunny High-Tail” are going to help families stricken by hurricanes and need their homes rebuilt.  For more information and to register, click here.

If you have a race you’d like to submit to this blog, please email the race information to info@girlsontherunatlanta.org.

Register now for the Girls on the Run of Atlanta Spring 5K on April 27th, 8:00 am at West Stride. 

• Waterdrop Dash 5K: Chatahoochee Nature Center, Roswell, GA. Saturday, March 16, 2013, at 8:00 a.m. Last Peachtree Road Race qualifier. The family fun event begins with a children’s fun run, followed by a festival full of prizes, kid’s activities and utility mascots which kicks off National WaterSense Fix a Leak Week! For more information and to register, click here.

• Kilometer Kids Fun Run: Grant Park, Atlanta, GA. TONIGHT – Wednesday, March 13, 2013, at 5:30 p.m. Join the Atlanta Track Club and Kilometer Kids for a fun run at Grant Park.  This free event is open to children ages 7 – 12.  Race day registration is available at the event beginning at 4:30 p.m. For more information, click here.

• Luckie 5K:  Centennial Olympic Park, Atlanta, GA. Sunday, March 17, 2013, at 7:30 a.m. Now you can be a part of the race day excitement with the same start and finish line as the Publix Georgia Marathon & Half Marathon.  For more information and to register, click here.

If you have a race you’d like to submit to this blog, please email the race information to info@girlsontherunatlanta.org.

Register now for the Girls on the Run of Atlanta Spring 5K on April 27th, 8:00 am at West Stride. 

• The Intown Ten 10K: John Howell Park, Atlanta, GA. Sunday, March 3, 2013, at 8:00 a.m. USATF certified course – very fast with long flat stretches, downhill sections and is a Peachtree Road Race qualifier. Proceeds benefit Trees Atlanta, Keep Atlanta Beautiful and Fire Station 19. For more information and to register, click here.

• Daffodil Dash: Georgia Perimeter College, Dunwoody, GA. Sunday, March 3, 2013, at 9:30 a.m. Organized by the Am Yisrael Chai! Teen Initiative, the race will honor the memory of the 1.5 million children who perished in the Holocaust.  The funds raised will support Holocaust Education and help children suffering in humanitarian crises in the world today. For more information and to register, click here.

• Red Devil Dash 5K:  Druid Hills Middle School, Decatur, GA. Saturday, March 2, 2013, at 9:00 a.m. A 5K Fun Run, one of the few trail runs inside the perimeter. Proceeds benefit the Philip Hicks Memorial Sportsmanship Awards, benefiting athletes from all DHHS sports teams.  For more information and to register, click here.

If you have a race you’d like to submit to this blog, please email the race information to info@girlsontherunatlanta.org.

• MSK 5K Walk-Families Stomping Out Childhood Obesity: Arabia Mountain State Park, Lithonia, GA. Saturday, February 16, 2013, at 8:00 a.m.  Help stomp out childhood obesity one step at a time. Proceeds benefit the My Sister’s Keeper Foundation for Women Inc. For more information and to register, click here.

• Run for Orphans:  Wills Park, Alpharetta, GA. Saturday, February 16, 2013, at 7:30 a.m. The funds raised at Run for Orphans will support the Kimbilio Project and Rejoice Project. For more information and to register, click here.

• Run to Love 5K and 1M Fun Run:  Jonesbridge Park, Norcross, GA. Saturday, February 16, 2013, at 8:30 a.m.  Proceeds benefit Re-Christ Ministries dedicated to meeting the needs of at risk youth and their families.  For more information and to register, click here.

If you have a race you’d like to submit to this blog, please email the race information to info@girlsontherunatlanta.org.