Every organization seems to have a 5K.
There’s a start line. A finish line. A crowd that feels like a joyful, slightly chaotic celebration.
Ours has all of that too (plus glitter and tutus).
But around here, we say something a little different.
The finish line is just the beginning.
And if you watch closely, you can see exactly why.
Because up until this point, a lot of the season has been about her.
Her goals.
Her confidence.
Her learning how to do something she wasn’t sure she could do.
And that matters...more than most people realize.
Girls today are carrying more than we ever did at their age. More pressure. More comparison. More anxiety. We see it every single season.
So yes, we spend ten weeks helping her move from:
“I can’t do this”
to
“I can do this.”
That alone is powerful.
But it’s not the end of the story.
Because confidence, by itself, is incomplete.
If it only ever turns inward, it stops at self.
It becomes something a girl holds… instead of something she uses.
And that’s not the kind of girl we are trying to raise
Our Heart & Sole teams don’t have a built-in group community project like our younger girls do.
And our coaches noticed. Some of them took it upon themselves to create one anyway.
That’s when I realized this wasn’t just a missing activity.
It was an opportunity for girls to practice what we had been teaching them all along—how to take what they’ve gained and use it for someone else.
So we made a decision.
At our 5K, every single team would have the opportunity to participate in a council-wide community impact project.
This spring, we are partnering with Boxes of Basics to collect new and gently used children’s clothing and books for kids right here in our community.
Sizes newborn to 16.
Coats. Jeans. Sweatshirts. Books.
Things a child will wear.
Things a child will hold onto.
Things that matter.
A girl will show up on 5K day carrying a bag that’s a little too big for her.
Inside will be clothes her family chose together.
Maybe something she used to love.
Maybe something she picked out just for this.
And somewhere in that moment, without anyone announcing it… without it being a formal lesson…
She begins to understand:
This isn’t just about me anymore.
That I can matter to someone else.
That I can do something that matters.
Because this is what we’ve been building toward all along.
Not just girls who can set goals.
But girls who notice.
Who recognize when someone else is struggling.
Who speak up.
Who offer help.
Who choose to show up.
We see it in small moments all season long.
A girl noticing when a teammate is having a hard day.
A quiet voice speaking up for the first time.
A group learning how to work together when something feels hard.
These aren’t just activities.
They are the building blocks of how girls learn to show up in the world.
And then at the 5K…
Those same girls show up carrying something for someone else.
And without even realizing it, they take one more step:
From
“I can’t do this”
to
“I can do this”
to
“I can do something that matters.”
The 5K will always be a celebration.
There will be sweat. Glitter. Tutus. Loud music. Families cheering like crazy. (I love the amazing signs!!)
It will look like joy.
But underneath all of that, something deeper is happening.
Because the finish line is just the beginning.
Because the goal was never just to raise girls who believe in themselves.
It’s to raise girls who look around and ask,
“Who else needs help getting there?”
And that kind of confidence?
It doesn’t stay contained.
It ripples.
Into classrooms.
Into friendships.
Into families.
Into communities.
Because a girl who believes in herself is powerful.
But a girl who uses that belief to make a difference?
She changes what happens after the finish line.
Join Us
Join us at the 5K.
Bring a bag.
Be part of the moment when a girl realizes it’s no longer just about her… and starts to understand the impact she can have on someone else.
And if you’re looking for a way to go even further, our upcoming Day of Giving begins with early giving on April 28 and culminates on May 12. www.givelocalpiedmont.org/gotrpiedmont
It’s an opportunity to support Girls on the Run Piedmont and the girls we serve… or any organization that’s close to your heart.
Because a community that gives doesn’t just get by.
It shows up.
It lifts others.
It creates something bigger than itself.
From “I can’t”… to “I can”… to “I can make a difference.”
Come see it happen. Live and in color. :). Everyone is welcome to run, walk, cheer or volunteer.
May 2 at Lenn Park in Culpeper. Www.gotrpiedmont.org/5k for all the details