Program provides running shoes for kids
Kids, get ready to run. North Idaho Panhandle Cross Country is hosting the second Run 2 Summer June 14 at Timberlake High School in Spirit Lake. Registration begins at 10 a.m., and race time is 10:30 a.m. The cost to enter is $10, which includes a shirt, or $5 without the shirt. Scholarships are available upon request.
Proceeds from the race will benefit Running Shoes 4kiDs, a nonprofit that provides running shoes for kids who otherwise wouldn't be able to participate in cross-country because their families can't afford appropriate gear for them.
"Coach Colene" Hotmer, who coordinates the programs, is no stranger to getting kids off the couch and on their feet. As a parent volunteer, Hotmer started a popular after-school cross-country program at Athol Elementary School.
It began with only 47 kids and grew to 100 kindergarten- to- sixth-grade runners while Hotmer was involved.
"During the time I was coaching I saw several kiddos who didn't have the greatest shoes to run in," she said. "I witnessed some kids running in cowboy boots, Converse shoes, shoes with holes in them and shoes with no support." More here. Maureen Dolan, CdA Press
I have four sons and between them they covered just about every sport their schools offered, but none of them were runners. Are you a runner? How about your kids?
