GREENVILLE – On July 27, Gateway Youth Programs took to the road and competed in the Breast Cancer Awareness 5K in Greenville. They ran under the team name of Running Buddies, which placed fourth in the team competition with 62 points. The team trained for eight weeks over the summer to prepare for the big day. There were two separate training groups, located in Greenville and New Madison. Runners met twice a week to build up their endurance. “Our group was nervous, yet excited,” said GYP Support Specialist Ruth Barga. “This was the first time most of our students ever competed in a 5K. All 24 of our runners finished the race. I am proud of all our runners for their effort over the summer.”
In July 2018, Gateway received a grant through Reid Community Health Benefit to facilitate the Running Buddies program during the summer. The funds assisted with post training refreshments, shoes, t-shirts, race registrations, athletic gear, educational materials and incentives. There was no cost to participants. “I’m just glad we were able to sponsor this program. It was great to see the strides the students made over the summer, that hard work pays off” said Barga.
Gateway thanks the following individuals and companies for their support, Reid Community Health Benefit, Can’t Stop Running Company, Greenville City Schools, Tri-Village Local School District, Danesa Borgerding, Chelsea Myers, Emily Plessinger, Marcia Schlechty and Ashley Stonerock.
