We would like to thank our amazing partners at our local community foundations. Girls on the Run was honored to receive a Community Grants Award from the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln in 2016. The Women’s Fund of the Community Foundation of Central Illinois awarded a $2,500 grant from their fund to support our Peoria teams. We also wanted to give a big energy award to the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation-Women to Women Giving Circle, who awarded $5,000 to assist with our expansion into the Bloomington/Normal area. Girls on the Run would like to thank all our donors, sponsors and partners for your help in making 2016 a successful year for our programs!

Join us Thursday, March 9 from 6-8 p.m. at the Springfield Art Association for our very first Canvas & Cocktails Fundraiser! Bring a bottle of wine, cheeses, and desserts with you to savor while making art in the studio! Our class will be themed around “places you like to run” and you will be able to finish that night. Each person gets an inspirational photo to work from with one-on-one help from the instructor. Best yet, SAA will provide all art supplies! Be sure to register as this class is open to the public!

Sign up through the Art Association’s website here.

Do you know, or were you, one of the girls who participated in the early years of Girls on the Run? Those participants are the perfect age to apply for the new Girls on the Run of Central Illinois Founder’s Scholarship,for females who participated in GOTR when they were younger and are now graduating from high school.

The deadline is March 1 and the application is available through the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln.Find out more and apply HERE.

The scholarship award is $1,300 toward expenses for an accredited college, university or vocational/technical school. As part of the application, the student must write an essay of 500 words or less explaining how her Girls on the Run experience influenced the choices she made in high school.
Examples include:

• Volunteering for a cause that matters to her;
  

  GOTRCI Founder, Deb Shultz

• Pursuing her dream job;
• Focusing on her physical health; and
• Living with inner confidence.

Deb Shultz, Girls on the Run of Central Illinois founder, began with an inaugural group of 13 girls. The program now includes nearly 1,200 participants in fourteen counties. In setting up the scholarship, Deb Shultz said, “This is another way to recognize girls who have done well and deserve it.”

Click here to apply.

We would like to share a huge THANK YOU to everyone who supported our annual fundraiser!! Over 140 guests joined us to learn more about the Girls on the Run program and to hear from the Keynote speaker, Courtney Westlake!
Thanks to everyone who attended or donated to the event, we raised over $24,000 to help us serve more than 1,100 girls and their families this year!

Special thanks to our event sponsors:
Presenting Sponsor
Levi, Ray & Shoup, Inc.

Finish Line Sponsor
Deb & Barry Shultz

Super Star Sponsor
Springfield Electric Supply Company

Pacesetter Sponsor
Illini Bank
Jane Hay Sales and Staging Team: The Real Estate Group

Sparkle & Shine Sponsor
Bank of Springfield

Crowe Horwath
Heartland Credit Union
Mark & Julie Staley
Phelon Public Strategies
Rep. Sara Wojcicki Jimenez
901 Clocktower Ltd.

Print Sponsor
Rudin Printing

Step up to the plate, and become a coach! If you’re looking to make an impact on the next generation of women, be more active and have fun, sign up to help coach this spring. Being a runner is not a prerequisite, and the GOTR staff provides all materials and training so coaches can effectively lead the program. Our coaches change lives, but best of all, they have fun doing it!

Have questions? Please email our program manager, Lara, or visit our website.

Spring registration is right around corner and we want to help make this season spectacular for your girl! Not only will she get active, build confidence and lifelong skills, she will be making new friends and having so much FUN!

Online registration opens Wednesday, February 8rd at 8am and will continue through Wednesday, February 22nd. Don’t forget, teams are limited to 15 participants and registration is on a first come, first serve basis. To see a list of spring sites, click here.

The season begins the week of March 6th and runs through mid-May. The spring Community 5k will be held on Saturday, May 20th.
Please call our office at 217-726-9808  with any registration questions or to register by phone.

Save the date for our 7th Annual Breaking Out of the Box
Mark your calendars for the Girls on the Run event of the year! We are excited to announce the date for our annual Breaking Out of the Box celebration!

Saturday, February 4, 2016
Christ the King Parish Center in Springfield
6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Purchase Tickets

Our Keynote Speaker will be Courtney Westlake, author and writer who challenges readers to discover and celebrate beauty found in our differences and struggles.

The evening will include musical entertainment, great food from Cafe Moxo, drinks, a silent auction and much more!  Special thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, Levi, Ray & Shoup, Inc.

Space is limited, so please RSVP by January 30 by purchasing tickets online or by phone at 217-726-9808.

If your business would like to sponsor the event or donate an item for our silent auction, email Katlyn or call 217-726-9808.