Vancouver is no stranger to marathons and runs of all sorts whether you run for fun or run for sport – from the Sun Run to Run Up for Down Syndrome to Vancouver’s Hot Chocolate Run, there are events for every age, every level, at nearly every time of year! Just check out this impressive list from BC Race Review. But there is one very new, very important, and very awesome run that I need to share with you. This Sunday, May 24th marks the 1st Annual Sole Awesome 5km Fun Run presented by Sole Girls and set in gorgeous Deer Lake Park, Burnaby. What makes this run sole, I mean so awesome and unique is that it is the finishing celebration for Sole Girls and a fundraiser for both the Sole Girls Scholarship Fund set up to financially help girls who might not otherwise be able to participate in the program and the Amanda Todd Legacy Foundation, a foundation born out of tragedy right here in the Lower Mainland with goals of bullying prevention and mental health awareness.
Sole Girls is a program designed for girls ages 8-12 focused on empowering girls and building confidence and healthy self esteem in a supportive environment. It is a nine-week program with various locations in the Lower Mainland and arms young girls with information on setting goals, healthy living, anxiety positive body image and more while also adding in physical activity, running, skipping, jumping etc, in a non-competitive environment, helping them build confidence. It is an empowerment Move-ment centered around our girls as whole beings, including mental health – a very important-but-not-talked-about-enough issue that needs more attention, especially when it comes to our youth.
Our mission is to inspire and build a world of confident, active girls who are supportive, inclusive leaders who embrace their differences and who see physical activity as something positive for their mental health.
As a mom of a 10yr old girl navigating her way through puberty, playground bullies, best friends, homework, finding her passions and everything else that comes with tween-hood, this is a mission that really resonates with me…and a program she may be attending. Because now, she’s reached the age where mom doesn’t have all the answers, and where support from all sides will truly help her thrive through these sometimes rocky times. I really wish Sole Girls was around when I was her age!
This year’s inaugural run will feature fun activities and celebrations at every kilometre mark – think hopscotch, three-legged race, which emphasize some of the Sole Girls core values: Support, Open Mindedness, Listening and Enthusiasm. Our kids, but especially our girls, need and deserve an empowering and supportive community to grow up in. If this is something you believe, then please! head to Deer Lake Park this Sunday at 8am to cheer on the runners, and show your support for this awesome mission.
Details at a Glance
Who? Anyone who thinks girls deserve a supportive community, like you!
What? Sole Awesome 5k Fun Run
When? Sunday, May 24th 8am-11am
Where? Deer Lake Park 6450 Deer Lake Avenue Burnaby, BC V5H 4R4
Why? Supporting girls’ physical and mental health with proceeds benefiting Sole Girls Scholarship Fund and the Amanda Todd Legacy Foundation
Schedule
7:30 am Registration
8:30 am Warmup
9:00 am Kickoff at Starting Line
10:30 am Prizes & Refreshments at the Finish Line
11:00 am End of event
