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Campbell “Girls on the Run” help out for Thanksgiving
Campbell girls help out for Thanksgiving
By Sarah Lehr
CAMPBELL
Fourth-grader Kalista Menousek wasn’t deterred when a gravy packet ripped as she prepared a Thanksgiving dinner basket Wednesday after school.
She eagerly ran over to her teacher and announced, “I think I’ll use cream of mushroom soup, instead.”
Kalista was one of 15 girls in fourth through sixth grades to participate in the after-school group Girls on the Run.
Girls on the Run, a national nonprofit organization, aims to teach girls social, mental and physical skills through activities including running and a service project.
The Campbell chapter of Girls on the Run marked its last fall meeting Wednesday. At the meeting, the girls packaged Thanksgiving meals for 40 families in need.
Each meal came in a tin pan that doubled as a dish for cooking turkey.
“On Thanksgiving, you have a feast with your family,” said fourth-grader Isabella Trimboli, 9. “The food will help people have a feast.”
The girls have been meeting twice a week for 10 weeks. They participated in team-building activities and trained to run in a 5-K race, which they completed Sunday.
“It’s not about winning,” said fourth-grader Jaleah Harris, 9. “It’s about having courage.”
Fifth-grade intervention specialist Krystal Zoumis, a Girls on the Run coach, said the program has the girls “building self-confidence and learning to make healthy choices ... It all goes hand and hand. They’re learning to persevere.”
Another team coach, special services director Jane Buckingham added: “Middle-school years can be tough years, especially for girls. This gives them a place to make friends and we’re letting them know there are adults they can go to, as well.”
Alivia Miranda, a 9-year-old fourth-grade student, said that, before she joined Girls on the Run, she did not believe she could run a 5-K.
“Now, I’m like, dude, I like running,” she said.