More than 900 girls, spectators, volunteers and community members gathered on November 4 at the Fellowship Home Brookside for the Girls on the Run South Georgia 5K event presented by Pepsi.

Valdosta City Mayor Scott James Matheson welcomed the large group to kick off the event. Emcee Paige Dukes, Lowndes County Manager, took the stage to inspire the girls before the 5K.

"Every girl deserves to understand that she is smart, strong and brave. Girls on the Run South Georgia works tirelessly to provide an environment in which all girls can thrive while growing and moving in a positive direction. The opportunity to support and shape the future is now. I want you all to know that there is an entire community standing ready to help you achieve your goals. No organization works harder than Girls on the Run South Georgia to support the mental and physical health of our girls."

Then Dukes led the girls in yelling, "I am smart, strong and brave!" before lining up to start the 3.12 mile run/walk. Girls, their running buddies and community runners then enjoyed a beautiful morning of running and walking while their family and friends cheered them on.

Girls on the Run South Georgia Executive Director, Mary Crawford, said, "The answers to so much of what we hear and read about today from mental health issues to workforce development absolutely begins with our program at Girls on the Run South Georgia. We inspire girls to be strong, confident, and empathetic. While our culminating event each season is a 5K, we are so much more than a running club. The 5K symbolizes to our girls the importance of setting a goal and working to achieve that goal, and the satisfaction of reaching their goal. Later in life their goals will become much more important than finishing a 5K and our program provides a foundation that allows girls to grow into confident and prepared young women. Studies show that we are teaching badly needed social emotional learning skills to girls when they are at the most formative time of their lives. Our sponsors, donors, and volunteers are the backbone of our program and we are very grateful for their support."

Girls on the Run South Georgia is a physical activity-based, positive youth development program that uses fun running games and dynamic discussions to teach life skills to girls in 3rd - 8th grades. During the 10-week program, girls participate in lessons that foster confidence, build peer connections and encourage community service while they prepare for the end-of-season celebratory 5K event.

In South Georgia, more than 85 trained volunteer coaches facilitated the curriculum to 22 teams of girls this season, helping equip them with the physical and emotional skills necessary to carry them over the 5K finish line and forward in life.  Girls on the Run South Georgia currently serves girls in Ben Hill, Berrien, Brooks, Cook, Lanier, Lowndes, Mitchell and Thomas Counties and is expanding to its 34-county territory.

For more information about Girls on the Run South Georgia, please visit  www.gotrsga.org or email [email protected]