A Letter from Tamara

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Girls on the Run of Northern Virginia, I want to offer our congratulations to the 3146 girls and their buddies who have arrived at the start line of the 2009 Reindeer Romp 5K presented by Argon ST! Your amazing achievement in completing this race is a reminder to all of us of the power of believing in yourself and never giving up. And thank you so much to the over 100 volunteers, and the coaches and staff of GOTR for such a spectacular event. Special thanks to Race Director Jeff Ruday for his commitment to making this race one that our girls will remember for a long time!

Girls on the Run touches the lives of thousands of girls every season, not just in Northern Virginia, but around the country. To paraphrase an African proverb, empowering girls to seek a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living takes a village, and this program would not be possible without the generous support of our dedicated coaches and outstanding sponsors who believe in the ability of Girls on the Run to change lives. And I believe we can do even more!

We have experienced exponential growth here in Northern Virginia over the past four years. The generosity of our partners who give so willingly of their time and resources allows us to continue to expand our reach, to make Girls on the Run a household name and accessible to every girl who wants to experience the beauty of growing in strength and confidence as she journeys towards adolescence.

Congratulations again to all the Girls on the Run, and all the buddy runners, parents, volunteers and staff who were touched by the joy of this season's race.

Sincerely,
Tamara E McFarren
President, Board of Directors