Photos Courtesy of NYRRC

CONTACT Foundation, 212.423.2212 foundation@nyrrc.org Cliff Sperber: 212.423.2281 csperber@nyrrc.org February 9, 2002 The New York Road Runners Club has established a youth program called RUNNING PARTNERS. The program enables kids to participate in races within New York's running community, earn patches for running distance, interact with positive adult role models, and be featured on the NYRRC Web site. Some of the other key features that make this program successful are listed below. 1. RACE BUDDIES: Race buddies are volunteers who run with the kids in the NYRRC races held in Central Park. 2. COMMUNITY BASED: Kids in inner city communities are enabled to participate in programs designed to promote positive physical, emotional, and personal development. 3. HELPS REDUCE HEALTH COSTS: Helping kids stay healthy and fit through athletics has a long term effect on national and communtiy health costs. The RUNNING PARTNERS program helps fill the gap created when physical education programs were virtually eliminated from New York City. 4. VALUES: The RUNNING PARTNERS progam helps children build self-esteem and learn about perseverence and success through determination and hard work. FROM THE NYRRC WEB SITE: PROGRAM: The Foundation serves youth of any size, fitness or athletic ability. Our flagship program, Running Partners, combines academic and developmental activities with the creation of school and community based running teams. Participating sites receive: continuous staff training and support; entry to meets, races and special events produced by New York's leading running associations; a variety of individual and team incentives, including running gear, awards, newsletter, and Web site; individualized educational curriculum; and personal growth workshops. Our other initiatives - Youth Marathon Month, Race Against Teen Smoking and Summer Running Clinic Series - also motivate and teach students from fourth grade through high school to enhance their lives through running. SUPPORTERS: The Foundation is assisted by the vast professional and volunteer resources of the New York Road Runners, organizers of the New York City Marathon and the foremost running association in the country. Many of the world's great track and field athletes are involved in Foundation programming, including the chairwoman, Grete Waitz, nine time winner of the New York City Marathon. Financial support comes through a public/private partnership which includes the Road Runners, the New York City Board of Education and a variety of institutional and individual funders. LINKS New York Road Runners Foundation How to Get Involved foundation@nyrrc.org

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