VERNON — As most of you know, over the past 13 years, my wife Nancy has put her heart and soul into building the Girls on the Run program throughout Vermont with the goal of having a positive impact on the lives of our elementary and middle-school girls.
Thanks to Nancy's devotion to the program, more than 13,000 Vermont girls have experienced the thrill of completing a 5K race.
While training for that event, these girls have learned about good nutrition, physical fitness, the dangers of alcohol and tobacco, and what it means to be a positive friend and schoolmate. They have completed countless community service projects and raised money to provide money for program scholarships for other girls around the state, even girls they might not ever meet.
I have had the pleasure of coordinating the 5K events for the past decade, and I've seen the smiles on the girls' faces as they cross the finish line, hand-in-hand with their mothers, fathers, coaches, or friends. Some of these girls had never run a step when they started the program 10 weeks earlier, but no matter how they got there, each one is so proud of her accomplishment. It's amazing to see.
And Nancy is always there at the finish, cheering just as loudly for the last girl as she did for the first.
What better way to honor Nancy on her 50th birthday than to raise money for the program that she has given so much of her time and efforts to over the last 13 years? My goal is to raise $5,000 that will go directly to help more young girls around Vermont enjoy the benefits of Girls on the Run.
Please join me by making a donation in Nancy's honor on Active.com or by mailing your kind donation to GOTR VT, 311 Laurel Ledges, Vernon VT 05354.