Join Parsippany Girls on the Run at Florham Pk 5K Saturday June 9

Girls on the Run participants from Morris, Essex, and Union Counties will be running in the Florham Park Jaycees 5K this Saturday, June 9. Parsippany's own local team is participating in the event.

Registration for the run is open to the general public and starts at 7:30am at Holy Family Church, 1 Lloyd Avenue, Florham Park, NJ. The 5K run begins at 9:30am.

Girls on the Run is a nonprofit physical activity-based positive youth development program for girls in 3rd-8th grade that helps participants recognize their power and potential through lessons focusing on personal development, team work and contribution to their communities. Each of the ten-week season’s lessons combine dynamic discussions and learning games with physical activity to instill the value of physical, emotional and spiritual wellness at a young age. Running is used as a tool to reinforce lesson topics, and the girls train to complete a 5K at the end of the season.

The program culminates with girls being physically and emotionally prepared to complete a celebratory 5K event. Running and finishing the 5K gives the girls a framework for setting and achieving life goals and shows them that even the seemingly impossible is possible with determination, coaching, and teamwork. Girls on the Run is the only national physical activity-based positive youth development program for girls with compelling evidence of program impact. A recent independent study, conducted by Maureen R. Weiss, Ph.D., a leading expert on youth development, showed that the program is highly effective at driving transformative and lasting change in the lives of third to fifth grade girls.

Members of the media are welcome to meet our group. These details follow:

WHERE: Holy Family Church, 1 Lloyd Avenue, Florham Park, NJ

WHEN: Saturday, June 9
Registration opens at 7:30AM
5K begins at 9:30AM
Best time to attend is 8:30-10:30AM

INTERVIEW Sydney Davis, Executive Director, New Jersey East

OPPORTUNITIES: Interview volunteer coaches and girls who have benefited from the program, including coaches and girls who participate at the Veterans Memorial Park site in Parsippany.

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About Girls on the Run
Based in Charlotte, N.C., Girls on the Run is a nonprofit organization with local Councils in all 50 states. Founded in 1996 with 13 girls, Girls on the Run has now served more than 1.4 million girls. Over the course of the ten-week program, girls in 3rd-8th grade develop essential skills to help them navigate their worlds and establish a lifetime appreciation for health and fitness. The program culminates with girls positively impacting their communities through a service project and being physically and emotionally prepared to complete a celebratory 5K event. With the largest 5K series by number of events in the world, Girls on the Run hosts more than 330 5Ks per year.

Girls on the Run was recently included as a top research-based program in a Social-Emotional Learning Guide developed by researchers at Harvard University and has been recognized by the National Afterschool Association (NAA) as one of the most influential after-school programs. Locally, Girls on the Run New Jersey East serves girls in Essex, Morris, Union, Burlington, and Mercer Counties. More information can be found at www.girlsontherunnj.org.