Humbled

I haven't been keeping this baby updated in awhile, but for good reason: I've been BUSY.

Last night was the innaugural "Runnin' Down a Dream" charity event for Girls on the Run of Austin. Since we are entering our 2nd school year of programs in Austin, and hoping to continue our expansion efforts, we knew we needed to get the word out about our non-profit. And what better way than to throw a party?!

What started as a little idea from The Nelson Project (have an event that benefits a non-profit) turned into something quite amazing. And the way the pieces came together and a few volunteers stepped up to the challenge could have never been predicted. I'm just astounded.

On paper, it doesn't really seem too daunting. We had the venue from day one. Gibson is not open to the public, but is rather a location where local artists and traveling musicians can hang out, collaborate, try out the latest guitars, borrow equipment for concerts, etc. Every once in awhile, they'll rent it out for charity. But we had a connection, and it was done. Gibson also secured the alcohol. So, two of the biggest items were solidified before we barely even had our first planning meeting.

The rest is all about being connected:

• Rachael, head coach, works at The Nelson Project & submitted GOTR as the beneficiary
• Maggie on our board knows the band.
• My sister, Katie, owns a cupcake business.
• Vira, a SoleMates fundraiser for GOTR and coach writes press releases & knows the owner at Elsi's Restaurant.
• Shelly, my friend from high school knows and recommended Loriana Hernandez from Fox News.
• Ann, my massage therapist (and GOTR sponsor) knows the owner of Garrido's (and it turns out, I do too, but had forgotten)
• Personal friends own businesses who donated silent auction items.
• GOTR sponsors were interested, even down to just hours before the doors opened, in donating items.
• And the list goes on.

I spent most of the night manning the check-in table with KB, our board chair, but at one point I made it over to the front row to see the band, and I couldn't believe it. We had actually pulled this thing off, and had over 200 guests for an event that even a Gibson employee said was "the biggest event we've ever had here."

Wow.

Special thanks to my friends who, in spite of me sometimes sounding like a broken record about this GOTR thing, acknowledged its importance to me and the 8-10 year old girls we'll serve this school year. Every penny raised goes directly to them in the form of registration scholarships, healthy snacks, 5K race registrations, water bottles, t-shirts, etc.

Of our 7 locations this fall (possibly 8 if we can secure more coaches) only 4 can afford to pay for program registration. This means, at a minimum, that we can enroll 40 girls who would otherwise not be able to join. 40 girls who will learn about self-respect. They'll learn that it's the content of their character and not their appearance that matters, that they should be true to their word and personal promises, that they should be a friend to others and not gossip, that they should exercise to be healthy, that having healthy habits (hygiene, diet, emotional health) makes them strong both inside and out, that making good grades will help them be successful, that they can accomplish anything with personal commitments and support, that they can run/skip/walk 3.1 miles, and that they can do anything. It's 40 families who will see a change in their daughters, and also learn something about healthy lifestyles along the way.

And right here is one founding board member who is incredibly humbled.