On Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024, Girls on the Run supporters gathered for an evening at Parker's Table to hear more about the program firsthand and how to support access for girls in the St. Louis region. Anna Wenger, coach at Oak Hill School in SLPS, shared about her own experiences at GOTR and the impact it has made on the entire school community at Oak Hill. She has graciously granted us permission to share her full speech below.

Good evening, everyone.

Thank you so much for being here tonight. It’s truly an honor to be with all of you in
support of an organization that means so much to me, to my girls, and to our
community. Tonight, we gather not just to celebrate a program, but to celebrate the
power of giving, the strength of community, and the future of our girls.

As we reflect on the recent Thanksgiving holiday, we are reminded of the importance of
gratitude. I know I’m not alone when I say I am deeply thankful for the Girls on the Run
program. But I’m not just thankful for the program itself—I’m thankful for the girls, the
families, the volunteers, and the entire community that makes Girls on the Run a
transformative experience. Your support makes it possible for these girls to thrive, to set
goals, and to realize their incredible potential.

I started coaching Girls on the Run during a time when the world was still reeling from
the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was 2021, and the world was navigating
hybrid learning, isolation, and uncertainty. For so many of the girls on my team—many
of whom come from marginalized communities—this was a time of deep emotional and
social struggle. The pandemic had disconnected them from friends, peers, and even
themselves.

Girls on the Run became a lifeline for them. It gave them the space to reconnect—not
just with others, but with themselves. It became a place where they could rediscover
their confidence, build resilience, and find empowerment through each step they took.
And it’s in that spirit of empowerment that I’m excited to celebrate Giving Tuesday
today. This day, which follows the consumer-driven frenzy of Black Friday and Cyber
Monday, is all about coming together to support the causes that matter most to us. It’s
about giving your time, your energy, and your resources to help create real change. And
tonight, we are here to support the Girls on the Run program, to help these girls develop
the tools, the confidence, and the opportunities they need to succeed—not just as
athletes, but as young women with the potential to change the world.

Having just celebrated Thanksgiving, I find myself deeply grateful for the girls I work
with every day. They come to practice each week with open hearts, eager to learn, to
challenge themselves, and to support each other. They inspire me with their
perseverance, their strength, and their belief in what they can achieve. And the beauty
of Girls on the Run is that while I’m teaching them, I often find myself learning right
alongside them. We learn to communicate, to compromise, to set and achieve goals,
and, most importantly, to believe in ourselves. It’s a lesson I carry with me every day.
But tonight, I want you to hear from the girls themselves about what they love about this
program. One of the girls shared with me, “The thing I like most about Girls on the Run
is running with Ms. Wenger because she's kind and pushes me to keep going even when I am tired and don't want to run anymore. In Girls on the Run, I learned how
important it is to be able to put myself in someone else's shoes. I also learned what it is
like to be part of a community with my friends. If I didn't have Girls on the Run I wouldn't
have learned what is important in friendships."

Another girl shared this: “Running is my favorite part of Girls on the Run. I learned to
love to move my body and exercise. Deborah and I started running after school around
our neighborhood. One of my favorite parts of this season was the practice 5k. Every
year, my family comes with me to the 5k in Forest Park because they like to run with me
and get exercise. If I didn't have Girls on the Run, I wouldn't be able to move my body
as much and be healthy. The most important lesson I learned through my seasons of
Girls on the Run was how to make friends.”

I also want to take a moment to acknowledge the amazing women who have supported
me in my journey as a coach—particularly Shelby and Lisa, who have been
instrumental in growing the Girls on the Run program at Oak Hill. Your positivity,
dedication, and patience have made such a profound impact, and I’m so grateful for
everything you do.

As some of you may know my school has a high number of ESOL (English for Speakers
of Other Languages) students. This means that many of our girls come from diverse
linguistic and cultural backgrounds, and they are in the process of learning English while
also navigating their educational journey. Girls on the Run is especially powerful in this
context because it teaches our girls to focus on what they have in common, rather than
their differences. In a world that often feels divided, this lesson of empathy and unity is
more important than ever. Girls on the Run brings girls of all backgrounds together,
teaching them the value of acceptance, the importance of working toward common
goals, and how to embrace the diversity that makes them stronger as a community.
And I want to point out that this program isn’t just about running. Running, for me,
became a metaphor for life. There are short runs that challenge your limits, long runs
where pacing is key, and uphill battles that require perseverance—but always, at the
end, there’s the payoff. On the other side of the hill, there’s often a downhill that feels
like reward. These lessons mirror life, and I share them with my girls—who, in turn,
teach me just as much.

One of the things that makes Girls on the Run so unique is how it connects running with
social, emotional, and mental well-being. And when we introduce running to girls,
particularly those from underrepresented communities, we’re opening doors for them
that may have seemed closed before. The 5K events that our girls participate in are not
just races—they are experiences of self-discovery, of overcoming obstacles, and of
feeling the pure joy of achieving something they’ve worked so hard for.

None of this would be possible without the generosity of donors like you. Your
contributions help provide shoes, water bottles, hijabs, sponsorships, and scholarships
to the girls who need it most. Your support allows them to experience the thrill of
crossing that finish line, to feel the pride that comes with achieving something they
didn’t think they could. Your support helps these girls build their confidence, form lasting
friendships, and create a future where they feel empowered and capable.

The impact of Girls on the Run extends beyond just the girls themselves—it extends
into the community. At Oak Hill, our parents, teachers, and staff have embraced this
program wholeheartedly. They show up as running buddies, they cheer the girls on,
they volunteer, and they help organize events. It’s not just a program for the girls—it’s a
program for our entire school and community to come together, support one another,
and create a culture of empowerment and inclusion.

As I stand here tonight, I’m filled with hope. Hope that this program can continue to
grow, reach more girls, and make an even bigger impact in our community and beyond.
I’m committed to helping this program expand, to helping more girls find their voice,
their confidence, and their strength.

I want to leave you with this thought: take a moment, right now, to pause and reflect.
Look around you and consider the difference you can make. Every dollar, every minute
of your time, every act of kindness contributes to something much bigger than any one
of us. Together, we are helping these girls run toward their dreams, one step at a time.
And in doing so, we are creating a future where every girl has the chance to shine.
Thank you for being here tonight, thank you for your support, and thank you for helping
us build a world where our girls can truly thrive.

Thank you.