Receiving a grant to implement the 100 Mile Club, and actually implementing the 100 Mile Club in a totally awesome way can sometimes be two different things. In this case though, they are truly one and the same.
Last fall, The Colorado Health Foundation awarded St. Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD) in Longmont, Colorado, a Physical Activity Grant that is specifically designed to increase the amount of student participation in daily moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). We were so honored to have been chosen to be part of this incredible effort. Read more about it here because this article is not really about the grant. It’s about the amazing people who are making magic through this generous and incredible opportunity.
The GET-IT Award Recipients this round are some real gems within the SVVSD who truly have taken 100 Mile Club and are “running” with it! (Get it?)
Paige Jennings is the awesome Physical Activity Grant Coordinator for SVVSD. She not only does her job but she does it well and she makes it look good! Paige knows and understands the 100 Mile Club as if she’s been at it her whole life. She is not afraid to try new things and ask questions when she needs to. She is the model of an outstanding leader. She is a doer with a “let’s GO!” mentality. Paige never pretends to know more than she does, is not afraid to ask questions, and is a quintessential part of the success of the 100 Mile Club in SVVSD. She is our first GET-IT Award recipient in SVVSD, of course…but then we asked her to nominate 3 more people she believed should receive a Get-It Award, too!
The 3 other Get-It Award recipients this month are:
- Jen Howie at Burlington Elementary School is the epitome of INITIATIVE, ALERTNESS and CONFIDENCE. Jen offers he students any opportunity she can to help her kids earn those miles. With the crazy winter, she kept her eye on the thermometer and weather reports and scheduled impromptu runs whenever the weather gave her the opportunity. Jen even did a Hot Cocoa Run! Yum! What a fun way to come together!
Jen wrote to us recently,
We were walking the halls one chilly morning and I had been talking to two girls as we walked. I eventually pulled ahead of them and I over heard one of them say “When I grow up, I want to be just like Mrs. Howie” This just melted my heart and made me feel so proud to be a role model to these kids…This program has so much strength with what it provides. Supportive adults, the opportunity to improve fitness, and to have a success in their lives that they can be proud of.
Well, Mrs. Howie, we think they are right on. Congrats on your GET IT AWARD!
- Jill Fadenrecht at Black Rock Elementary is up next. The blocks of Coach Wooden’s Pyramid that come to mind when thinking of Jill are POISE, SKILL, and ENTHUSIASM. Jill has about 300 tiny humans running in The 100 Mile Club at Black Rock and is a positive FORCE and advocate for ALL kids. She does it all and is not afraid to share her ideas and good news to inspire others. Jill is 100% solution-oriented and never lets anything get in her way. This translates directly to her students and families. In short, Jill is a ROCKSTAR.
Jill shared,
I had one of my students reach 100 miles and his mom was there to see him get it. While waiting for him to finish his final
few laps she told me that he has completely gone off his ADHD medication since starting 100 Mile Club in September and she credits the Club for much of his growth. Yay!!
Yay to you Jill! And Congrats on YOUR Get-It Award!! WOOHOO!
- INDUSTRIOUSNESS, ADAPTABILITY, and RESOURCEFULNESS are evident throughout Coach Amy Miller‘s 100 Mile Club Program! She is implementing the 100 Mile Club against all odds. We call SVCMS tiny and mighty! This school is located in the middle of an industrial park, but that doesn’t stop them. Their 60 little runners run where they can, run when they can, and do everything possible to earn their miles. We even had one family show up at a local sanctioned event in California on Thanksgiving Day to earn extra miles over their break. Coach Miller epitomizes the quote by John Wooden, “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” Congratulations, Amy, on a job well done and your well-earned Get -It Award. Keep it up!! We will be delivering medals to your adorable little runners very soon!
Congratulations to all of the amazing coaches in SVVSD and thank you to everyone who is helping our kids make their dreams come true. Look for something in the mail from us in the next week or so… 🙂
