Girls on the Run reaches milestone with 5K race

A group has found a special way to run an after-school program to energize girls in grades 3-8.

Girls on the Run Grand Strand coordinates programs for youth to get together in twice-a-week, 12-week programs full of activities every fall and spring. The women and their students also want the public to join them in celebrating their milestones in making a difference with their 5K Run/Walk at 9 a.m. Saturday in Myrtle Beach’s Grand Park, on Farrow Parkway, across from The Market Common.

Danelle Greer of Litchfield Beach, executive director and a head coach for Girls on the Run Grand Strand, said the after-school sessions span five sites: three in Horry County: Seaside Elementary School in Garden City Beach, and St. James Elementary and Middle schools in the Burgess community; and two in northeast Georgetown County: Coastal Montessori Charter School and Tidelands HealthPoint Center for Health and Fitness, both in Litchfield Beach. “Girls on the Run” is for grades 3-5, Girls on Track, for grades 6-8.

Married to an orthopedic surgeon with their 6- and 3-year-old daughters, Greer will talk at whim about the professional sports teams in Pittsburgh, where she grew up and earned her bachelor’s degree in sports medicine, as well as in her native western New York State, where she also spent the later 1990s on the Buffalo Bills’ Jills cheerleading squad. Asked about details for Girls on the Run, the custom cakemaker took off.

Question | What big steps has Girls on the Run made with this Grand Strand group?

Answer | It’s a positive development program that also utilizes fun, recreational activities to help these girls in their physical aspects and train for a 5K race.

Q. | Is the 5K Run/Walk on Saturday Girls on the Run Grand Strand’s first such race for the public?

A. | It is. ... In closing the last couple of sessions, we just kind of tagged on to other races. This is the start of a new era, and we are hopeful this becomes an annual event.

Q. | With female-driven races more common nowadays, how does that also help get more women and girls out and about to socialize and with a focus on fitness?

A. | It’s also camaraderie and talking. With Girls on the Run programs, it’s focused on a lot of issues that girls in adolescence are going through, for self-image, self-confidence, self-esteem, self-awareness and more emotional issues they’re dealing with. We’re dividing this into 24 different lessons in a 12-week session.

Q. | Might this kind of attention and quality time in a group setting bear some resemblance to goals shared by members of the Girl Scouts of America?

A. | In some areas of the country, some Girls on the Run councils are partnering with the Girl Scouts. Hopefully, as things progress with us in the Grand Strand, we’ll find other partners for our program. What’s nice about our program is it runs the same days weekly after school, and at schools, the participants can stay after on site, instead of the need for carpooling or getting to a school someplace else. Students from outside a school are still welcome to participate, though.

Q. | How many years has the program been running?

A. | This is our third season. We’re taking baby steps, mostly through word of mouth and social media, and slowly progressing. We didn’t want to grow too quickly and lose our feet underneath us.

Q. | How many of you make up the team of adults in opening this whole new world for girls?

A. | We have 15 coaches and five sites, and each head coach has an assistant and others who can help as assistants, because not everyone can make it twice a week. And we have running buddies at each site. ... Everyone volunteers.

Q. | The girls who participate in the program: How varied are their backgrounds?

A. | It’s all inclusive, with girls who are athletes, and there might be girls who are more academic based. We have girls who are runners now and girls who have never run before. Our motto is that these girls are moving forward, whether in running or walking, ... as long as they’re moving forward in a positive manner.

Q. | What has kept you so into physical fitness? With my pedaling 2,000 miles a year, the wheels really do most of the work, but running, however: That takes endurance and stamina, and pure athletics.

A. | I could run if it’s raining or snowing. It’s one sport you could do in any weather. I personally run because I enjoy being outdoors. Running is a stress reliever. It gives me my own personal time to think about the day, to de-stress, and to prepare myself for the day, and I want to provide that enjoyment to these girls and show it can be healthy and they can do it every day if they want to. ... It has health benefits – mentally, physically and emotionally, and Girls on the Run is ... not just another education program, but a self-improvement program, and with health and wellness, all rolled into one.

Q. | What love of sports has carried through to your daughters?

A. | My older daughter has a love for tennis and golf, and my younger daughter wants to be involved with dance and soccer.

Q. | What other rewards pop up from local Girls on the Run members inspiring children, especially leading up to the 5K Run/Walk at Grand Park?

A. | This will be our end-of-the-season celebration, ... and we want everyone in the community to participate, seeing these girls doing what they love to do. ... Words cannot explain what these girls go through, through the 12 weeks, and to just to see them cross the finish line. For many of them, this is the first run/walk they’ve participated in. We also did a practice 5K last week.

This story was originally published May 3, 2015 at 11:00 AM with the headline "Girls on the Run reaches milestone with 5K race."