Menu
NMS Girl emPOWERment hosts 10th annual GM5K
It was a cool overcast morning Tuesday, perfect weather for the 10th annual Girl emPOWERment GM5K fun run at Nevada Middle School.
“Many of the girls had never attempted a five-kilometer event of any kind, and doing this in a friendly non-competitive environment can take away the initial intimidation of the length,” school nurse and club sponsor Dawn Jones said.
She said the GM5K helps promote and encourage healthy lifestyles.
“Hearing the words ‘5-K’ can be intimidating, but now that many of them have done it, even if just walking it, they won’t be so afraid of trying something like this again,” Jones said.
A non-fundraiser event, the GM5K was open to all middle school girls.
“Only they don’t have to run,” Jones said.
The girls could run, jog, walk — their choice. Hadley Bruce completed the entire 3.1 miles by skipping.
A few ran, some jogged with a friend, and many walked in small groups of four or six girls — talking, laughing, listening to music and even singing.
A total of 40 middle school girls participated — 18 sixth-graders, six seventh-graders and 18 eighth-graders.
In addition to the faculty members helping organize the run, students from the NRTC Practical Nursing program were stationed around the course — the community trail at Nevada Middle School.
“Thanks to Linda Douglas and her Practical Nursing students without whose help we would not be able to do this event,” Jones said.
After completing the six laps of the course, the girls gathered at the finish line to rest and rehydrate. They also had the chance to enter a drawing for a variety of prizes provided by the Osage Prairie YMCA.