Girls on the Run (GOTR) is an organization built on the principles of giving back to the community through teaching and instilling life lessons and values for young girls. The GOTR community strives to reach out to as many girls, coaches, volunteers and sponsors as possible to help make the experience enjoyable for all involved. GOTR Memphis has been blessed with many organizational partnerships that allow for growth and continued success for this non-profit. Without the constant support, guidance, and volunteering from these various organizations, GOTR wouldn’t be able to shine as bright as it does throughout Memphis and the 901.
Girls on the Run wants to give a special shout out to one of our partners for the constant and continuous support of the Girls on the Run Memphis mission. UTHSC, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, located in the Midtown area, is not only a top notch University, but also an institution that prides itself on giving back to Tennessee citizens.
One volunteer who helps to make Girls on the Run events so spectacular is Sunnie Reagan, GOTR coach for three seasons at PCAES Hickory Hill. Reagan is a current medical student at UTHSC and has been a key volunteer throughout her three years coaching for GOTR during both her preclinical and clinical phases of medical school.
When asked how she initially heard about Girls on the Run, Reagan said:
“I first heard about GOTR through the Association of Women Surgeons, one of the student organizations on the UTHSC campus! That’s one of the great things about the organizations at UTHSC - they can help get you plugged into organizations you didn’t know about or hadn’t heard about before!”
Reagan shared, “I keep volunteering with Girls on the Run because it’s not just about running- it’s about empowering young girls and teaching them confidence, strength, and resilience! Seeing them grow and overcome challenges throughout a single season and then also over the course of several seasons when coaching at the same site is so rewarding!”
Reagan believes Girls on the Run is very successful in Memphis because, “it’s a community full of people who want to support one another! The combination of volunteers who strive to empower young women and families who see the importance of positive mentorship helps to make the program successful season after season.”
Girls on the Run has proven to be a community-wide effort from coaches, volunteers, sponsors, athletes, and more. It definitely takes a village. And our village is stronger than anything.
The mission of UTHSC reads as, “bringing the benefits of the health sciences to the citizens of Tennessee and beyond through education, research, clinical care, and public service.” UTHSC is Tennessee’s only Public, Statewide Academic Health Science System which is the largest educator of health care professionals in Tennessee and 62 percent of UTHSC’s health professions graduates stay in Tennessee. Wow!
When asked “Do you see any similarities between the work being done at UTHSC and the work at GOTR?” Sunnie replied, “Both UTHSC and GOTR place a strong emphasis on health, education, and providing resources that improve lives, especially in underserved communities- and that’s truly what makes UTHSC such a perfect fit for me for medical school and what makes GOTR such a perfect organization to be involved with as a volunteer!”
Without volunteers like Sunnie Reagan, and organizations such as UTHSC, Girls on the Run would not be possible and the program wouldn’t be where it is today. Throughout the 901, Girls on the Run is fortunate to have twelve sites and seventy-five coaches this season! We can’t express our gratitude enough for all our community partners, sponsors, and volunteers, like Sunnie Reagan, who are inspiring the next generation of women, leaders, and future activists.