This fall, GOTR Coach Denise Goncalves missed the girls on her Kenilworth and Mountainside teams, so she decided to support them by running a virtual 5K to raise money for Girls on the Run. 

“Completing a race always brings a nice sense of accomplishment, especially when you’re celebrating a girls day too,” said Coach Denise. 

Coach Denise and her friends usually run several 5Ks each year, including the Diva Dash, Spring Lake Five and of course, Girls on the Run’s Spring and Fall 5Ks. “We’ve been running together for ten years,” Coach Denise said. “We like to get out there and run. It gives us something to look forward to together.”

In November, Coach Denise and her running pals chose a virtual fall race to support Girls on the Run: Gourdy’s Pumpkin Run, a national race with locations across the country. This year, Gourdy’s selected Girls on the Run as its national charity partner, and a portion of runners’ fundraising helped make a difference in the lives of girls. 

“I know that girls are struggling right now, and anything we can do would help,” said Coach Denise. “Knowing we were helping support girls added more meaning to our run.”

Thank you Coach Denise!

Girls on the Run NJ East is celebrating 20 years of inspiring girls to be joyful, healthy and confident. Since 2001, Girls on the Run NJ East has grown to serve 20,000 girls in Essex, Morris, Union, Mercer and Burlington counties. 

Check back soon for more ways to celebrate GOTR NJ East’s 20th anniversary in 2021!