Category: News 2

Grant gives girls a running start

Posted onAuthorSarah McInerneyLeave a comment

News Release 

For Immediate Release

Contact:

Sarah McInerney

Minnesota Distance Running Association

hello@runmdra.org

Minneapolis, Minn. – Lucy Laney Running Club, based out of the Lucy Craft Laney Community School in Minneapolis, is the 2019 Community Giving Grant Recipient through the Minnesota Distance Running Association Foundation (MDRA).

Sarah Hodges, a MDRA member and Lucy Laney school psychologist, saw the positive impact that running made on young women and the lack of running role models in the community. Ms. Hodges and the Lucy Laney social workers formed a running group of 5th grade girls three years ago. The grant funds will go toward the fall running club.

Currently, the group has enough funds for 10-11 girls which helps provide race registration, apparel, and transportation to race events. With the grant funding, they can expand to 20 girls and potentially include some 3rd and 4th grade girls as well. The school does not fund the running club and the leaders are volunteers.

The $500 MDRA Foundation Community Giving Grant is awarded each year to help organizations promote youth participation; provide training and education to runners; and to support the running community.

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The Minnesota Distance Running Association is a membership supported group whose goal is to connect the Minnesota running community and support runners of all ages and abilities through education, programs, and advocacy. The group organizes a number of running events and training classes during the year in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. More information about the MDRA Foundation.

Lucy Craft Laney Community School is located at 3333 Penn Avenue, Minneapolis within the Minneapolis Public School District. Student demographics include: Native American (3%), African American (88%), Asian American (2%), Hispanic American (2%), and White American (5%). 14% of students receive English Learning Language Services, 97% qualify for free or reduced lunch, and 18% receive Special Education Services.

2018 Community Giving Grant Awarded

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The MDRA Foundation is pleased to announce the Twin Cities Track Club Kids City Cross Country League as the 2018 recipient of the Community Giving Grant!

TCTC is currently working with neighborhood associations in Minneapolis and St. Paul to develop cross country programs through local community centers and parks. TCTC athletes partner with their local communities to offer instruction, administration, and coaching over a six to eight week season. The season will wrap up with an all-city meet in which the community teams will take to the trails in a fun and friendly competition. In its fourth year, the league runs from August 13th through October 4th and is open to boys and girls entering grades 3-8 in the fall of 2018.

The MDRA grant will be used to provide 10 need-based scholarships for the 2018 season.

More information on the program can be found at kidscityxc.com.

2017 Community Giving Grant Awarded

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MDRA is pleased to announce the first recipient of the Community Giving Grant!

The  Washington Technology Magnet ­­ Track & Field and Cross Country team  will receive
$500 to be used for team gear, providing a quality experience and building a community of runners. Their vision is in line with one of our stated goals: to promote participation in running. We are very happy to be part of supporting their effort.
The grant will help them to bridge the time gap between cross country and track and field seasons. Over the winter months their athletes are unable to run when the winter weather arrivesbecause they lack the basic exercise gear most students in the state have access to. They plan to use the grant to purchase a combination of team issued jackets, hats, gloves and pants so that their athletes can train together on their own over the winter months.
Washington Technology Magnet (WTM) is a public school in the St. Paul Public School District. It is located in the North End neighborhood of St. Paul and the vast majority of students come from Frogtown, the North End and the East Side, three of the poorest neighborhoods in St. Paul with some of least accessible roads for running and lack of safe trails. Over 90 percent of students are on free and reduced lunch and almost every athlete on their cross country and track and field team is a first generation runner.