Waxhaw: Upcoming events highlight girl power

Two upcoming events support organizations dedicated to assisting girls.

The seventh annual, noncompetitive Girls on the Run 5K will be April 27 at Lake Park. Bonnie Grote, Council Director of Union County Girls on the Run said, “We are fortunate this year to have the superintendent of Union County Public Schools, Dr. Mary Ellis, at our 5K. She will be starting the 5K for us. We are super excited and honored to have her at our celebration.”

Girls on the Run is a nonprofit youth development program for girls in grades 3-5 and their families.

To register for the event, go to www.girlsontherununion.org.

The website home page stresses “Both Males and Females are welcome to this family friendly community event.”

CMC-Union is the major sponsor. Grote said participants’ T-shirts will not be guaranteed after April 5. Race packet pickup will be at CMC-Waxhaw, Community Room, 2700 Providence Road South in Waxhaw on April 26, 3-7 p.m. Online registration closes at midnight on April 25, but you can register at packet pickup on April 26, 3-7 p.m. at CMC-Waxhaw for $20.

Girl Scouts

The Girls Scouts of America have had a positive impact on the development of young women since 1912. Close to home, the members of Girl Scout Troop 1279 set a goal of making a trip to Europe in 2014 and are working to make it a reality.

Angela Lubinecky, co-leader of the troop, told me about their upcoming fundraising event.

Family Fun Day will be April 20, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. It will be held at Siler Presbyterian church in Wesley Chapel, and they hope to attract lots of families. Chris the Bounce House Man ( www.bouncehouseman.com) has donated the use of a bounce house.

There also will be other games for children and a silent auction.

Troop 1279 has been working on their goal since 2011. That’s when they decided to join the International Girl Scout Travel Group in their 2014 tour.

They’ve sold Girl Scouting 100th anniversary T-shirts, entertained younger Girl Scout troops and participated in a variety of service projects. Now in 2013, their goal is tangible as the time for the trip draws closer.

Their 2014 journey will include visits to two of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts centers – the Pax Lodge in Hampstead, England, and Our Chalet World Center in Adelboden, Switzerland.

For both of these organizations, the support of parents, teachers and the community is both necessary and greatly appreciated.

The achievement of a goal is important, whether it is the finish line of a 5K race or the moment a group of young women board a plane for a long awaited trip. So, too, are the life lessons learned on the running track or in planning and executing an event like Family Fun Day.