GOTR Fan wrote:
If you haven't had the opportunity, I would urge any of you who really want to see what Girls on the Run is about, visit your local group, and volunteer at the season end 5K. I used to be a hardened, competition-only, die-hard runner. Having volunteered at the local Girls on the Run 5K at the urging of my wife, it is hard not to get emotional watching thousands of grade school kids enjoying a 5K event. I is an incredible sight to see the next generation of runners in action.
Any troll here who seriously laments 3rd through 5th grade girls learning about healthy body image, positive self esteem, and teamwork among others and decries lack of 5K "training" should be banned from coaching athletes of any age.
As a previous poster alluded to, a large percentage of participants are on scholarship, supported by donations and local fees. Supplies for the curriculum, t-shirts, medals, and race day event planning all cost money. Trust me- nobody is making serious cash off this, and many chapters are trying to stay above water.
I don't have real budget info, but just for a back of the envelope calculation for where that $150 might go:
A "good" administrative cost for a charity is under 10-15%, so lets lowball and assume $15 per person off the top for admin, infrastructure, insurance, etc.
Lets take another $35 for the end-of-season 5K- this is comparable to any large 5K entry fee with similar amenities.
This leaves $100. If 1 of every 4 participants is supported by scholarship, then 3 of 4 may be supporting that girl from their fees. 1/3 of $100 is $33, leaving $66 left.
10 weeks, 2 runs per week, makes 20 sessions total. That comes out to $3.30 per day that it costs. Much cheaper than any day care I know of. But lets keep going for those still skeptical.
Figure in $1.50 per girl for daily snacks, 75 cents per girl for supplies, this leaves an operational overflow of $1.05 per day per girl for any things I didn't leave out. Still worried that someone is making a lot of money off of this?
Do yourself and your sport a favor- find a GOTR chapter and volunteer- as a coach, at the 5K, helping prepare for the season, passing out fliers.[/b} Learn what the program and curriculum are really about. It is truly a life changing program for these girls.