District 59 students take part in 5K

Posted December 17, 2015 10:00 pm

Submitted by District 59

Learning Resource Center teacher Pam Millonzi, left, and Speech and Language Pathologist Cathy Ciaramello, right, from Robert Frost Elementary shout encouragement to District 59 students running a 5K at Audubon Park. Courtesy of District 59

On Saturday, Dec. 12, 43 girls from Robert Frost, Rupley, and Ridge elementary schools braved the unseasonably warm, but extremely foggy, December weather to show their dedication to a healthy lifestyle via a 5K run.

The students and teachers organized their own 5K when the official one scheduled for Nov. 19 by the Girls on the Run program had to be rescheduled because of bad weather.

Ten District 59 schools are proud participants in the Girls on the Run program, a not-for-profit organization that teaches elementary and junior high girls the importance of healthy eating, exercise and mindset. According to the website, more than 120,000 volunteers serve more than 168,000 girls in more than 225 cities across North America each year.

Teachers at District 59 who coach the program helped organize the run at Audubon Park in Elk Grove Village by working with the Elk Grove Village Park District. The students still wanted an opportunity to participate in the 5K they trained to run, and the collaboration helped make this goal a reality.

Julie Botkin, a physical education teacher at Rupley, said she loves that the district is part of the program.

"It has been a great season for us with Girls on the Run. Together as a team, our girls have learned to be creative, empowered, confident and healthy young women."

A Robert Frost fifth-grader who participated in Saturday's run summed it up well: "I am excited about the 5K because all the hard work we have done results in us having a great finish."

For information about the Girls On The Run program, visit www.girlsontherun.org.

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Kylie Shaya, a third-grader at the Ridge Family Center for Learning, heads into the home stretch of the 5K "Girls on the Run" replacement run put on by District 59 at Audubon Park in Elk Grove Village. Courtesy of District 59

Bella McCarty, a tired but very excited third-grader at the Ridge Family Center for Learning, wears her "Girls on the Run" medal with a smile after finishing the 5K race at Audubon Park on Saturday. Courtesy of District 59

Along with her classmates, fifth-grader Julia Wydro from Robert Frost School prepares for a 5K run with a warm-up cheer. Courtesy of District 59

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