Girl Power! Parsippany's Girls on the Run Completed Their 5K

Team photo courtesy of Tara Voto

On Saturday, June 9 the Parsippany chapter of Girls on the Run joined the crowd at Holy Family Church in Florham Park alongside their sister groups from the region for their spring grand finale - the Jaycees 5K run.

The field was packed with smiling faces and an upbeat vibe as Girls on the Run members throughout the region assembled at their town stations. The organizers offered each girl fun, colored hair spray, face paint, an opportunity to write a personal vision statement, as well as photo opps with empowering signs. A vendor booth was onsite with trendy Girls on the Run accessories, including tutus and capes that many young runners were thrilled to wear.

The Parsippany group of 3rd through 5th grade girls (mostly ages 8-10) trained throughout the season, so they arrived prepared. Each girl ran at her own pace throughout the training, but was continually encouraged to strive for personal progress - a theme that was echoed by motivational talks from the coaches geared towards becoming a well-rounded, strong, resilient person. The support and encouragement brought the teams to the finish line.

Parsippany runners in the Florham Park Jaycees 5K this past weekend (with times where available) were:

• Ava Adessa
• Maya Celli (49:26)
• Lara Habib (52:46)
• Maddie Harmon (41:42)
• Jada Jones (53:09)
• Carina Maroldi (43:19)
• Adrianna Oletu
• Isabella Parada (39:53)
• Emma Roeder (49:03)
• Ashley Thompson
• Sarah Velicky (52:53)
• Elaina Voto (39:56)

The girls were encouraged throughout the season by their inspiring and supportive Coaches Sera Ferrante, Marissa Galfo, Jessica Jaskot, Kelsey Laverne, Rachel Liebowitz, Carolyn Modin and Angela Vitellaro.

Girls on the Run offers spring and fall seasons that build both mental and physical confidence in girls grades 3 to 5. Their sister program, Heart & Sole, focuses on middle school students in grades 6-8. More information is available online.