COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – As part of the Girls on the Run Recognition Night held last month at Coldwater High School, the first Creal Memorial Award was presented. The award was created to honor the Creal family’s generosity in supporting programs that help young people in our community to grow and flourish.
The award is given to a girl who exemplifies the values of Girls on the Run (GOTR). The Creals donated the funds to establish the GOTR council here in Branch County. This year’s award was presented to Bailey Davis, who attends Lakeland Elementary and was a second-year participant in Girls on the Run.
Four other girls were chosen to receive honorable mention recognition. They were Naomi Schwark from Union City, Eysha Chavez from Pansophia, Elizabeth Larr from St. Charles, and Lainey Yearling from the Jefferson team in Coldwater.
According the the organization, Girls on the Run core values include:
• Recognize our power and responsibility to be intentional in our decision making,• Embrace our differences and find strength in our connectedness,• Express joy, optimism and gratitude through our words, thoughts and actions,• Nurture our physical, emotional and spiritual health,• Lead with an open heart and assume positive intent, and• Stand up for ourselves and others.
Girls on the Run of Branch County was organized to provide programs to educate and prepare girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living. Girls on the Run is a physical activity-based positive youth development program. It combines training for a 5k run event with life-changing, self-esteem enhancing lessons that encourage healthy habits and an active lifestyle in girls in the 3rd, 4th and 5th grades.
The 10 week lessons starts in March meeting twice a week with teams in every elementary school in Quincy, Coldwater, Bronson and Union City. The season is completed with a 5k run held in conjunction with the Summer Kickoff 5k/10k held on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend that benefits Girls on the Run.
