Girls on the Run completes its second season at OLM
OLM has learned that you can’t keep a good girl down. The school has participated in the Girls on the Run program for the second year in a row. Every season, the program wraps up its 10 week biweekly training with a celebratory 5K. On Sunday, November 18th, the group was lucky enough to have sunny skies, but the early season cold temps proved to provide some difficult icy obstacles. The girls handled the course at Warwick City Park like pros and were constantly cheered on by hundreds of supporters, including the Providence College Girls Softball team. It truly is a community event, as several girls ran with OLM teachers as a running buddy for the race. According to OLM teachers Denise Palizza and Jennifer Nygren, “Girls on The Run is a fabulous national program, and we are so lucky that parents have brought this opportunity to our young girl students of OLM. The lessons of teamwork, planning and practicing to reach a goal, and confidence building activities are priceless. It’s inspiring to see the girls feeling so empowered on race day. Their enthusiasm is contagious and it truly is a treat to run with them!”
Girls on the Run is an international organization that serves close to 200,000 girls each year with over 200 councils in all 50 states. Started in 1996 with just 13 girls in Charlotte, NC, the organization’s mission goes far beyond teaching girls to run. Its over 100,000 volunteer coaches and leaders are dedicated to incorporating important social, psychological and physical lessons to help foster self-confidence, commitment and a better understanding of themselves, their peers and the world around them. This is the second year OLM has sponsored a Girls on the Run council. According to coaches Jennifer Sheehan, Kathleen Ringler, Courtney Cavanagh, Lee Mita and Caitlyn Costa, “Every week the girls come out prepared to challenge themselves and us. We are in awe of their determination and commitment. Our goal is that they will come away from the experience with a better sense of self and respect for others while maintaining a healthy lifestyle.”
With a tradition of excellence in Catholic elementary and middle school education since 1951, Our Lady of Mercy School offers its students an opportunity to pursue excellence in academics, athletics and the arts on their journey as young saints and scholars. Accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the Pre-K through Grade 8, co-educational Catholic school located in East Greenwich provides a nurturing, values-driven environment built upon the teachings of the Catholic Church.
