On December 9th, the Henderson Family YMCA will hold its annual Polar Express 5k event, benefiting Girls on the Run and the YMCA STRIDE programs.

Race start time is 10 a.m.  Registration begins at 9 a.m.  The course will be at Satterwhite Point on Kerr Lake.  The entrance will be closed at 9:50 a.m.  The address is 6254 Satterwhite Point Road.

Entry Fee for adults is $20 pre-race and $30 on race day.  Children 13 years and under may register pre-race for $10 and on race day for $20.

The race will start and finish in the last parking lot on Satterwhite Point, down from the community building “Glass House.”

For more information, contact the Henderson Family YMCA on Ruin Creek Road, online at hendersonymca.org or call 252-438-2144.

Girls on the Run

Over a period of 10-12 weeks, girls in the 3rd through 5th grade participate in an after-school program like no other. Designed to allow every girl to recognize her inner strength, the Girls on the Run curriculum inspires girls to define their lives on their own terms. Throughout the season, the girls make new friends, build their confidence and celebrate all that makes them unique. The Girls on the Run lessons encourage positive emotional, social, mental and physical development. Participants explore and discuss their own beliefs around experiences and challenges girls face at this age. They also develop important strategies and skills to help them navigate life experiences. Physical activity is woven into our program to inspire an appreciation of fitness and to build habits that lead to a lifetime of health. At the end of each season, the girls participate in a Girls on the Run 5k event. Completing the 5k gives the girls a tangible understanding of the confidence that comes through accomplishment as well as a framework for setting and achieving life goals. Crossing the finish line is a defining moment when the girls realize that even the seemingly impossible IS possible.  For more information go to www.GOTR.org

STRIDE

STRIDE is a fun afterschool character development program for boys. The boys look forward to time with their friends and making new friends. Throughout the program, the focus is on doing one’s personal best, not competing with each other. Each STRIDE team meets twice a week for 10-12 weeks. Trained volunteer coaches start each session with an introduction of the day’s character-building lesson, followed by a warm-up, group discussion, running workout and interactive games. In each session, the boys build the stamina, techniques and confidence to run a 5K. Boys who demonstrate excellent character are rewarded with a STRIDE dog tag at the end of the lesson. At the conclusion of the ten-week session, the boys celebrate by participating in a 5K with their coaches, parents and running partners. STRIDE gives boys the opportunity to share and explore issues that they face in school, at sports, in the community and at home. They learn the importance of being a good friend, working as a team, saying no to drugs and making good decisions. We want to help boys become young men who KNOW what is right, CARE what is right and DO what is right. For more information go to www.ymcastride.org

(The YMCA is an advertising client of WIZS.)