VALDOSTA — Girls on the Run South Georgia recently celebrated the successful conclusion of its spring season with the Girls on the Run South Georgia Spring 5K at Wiregrass Georgia Technical College. Over 700 supporters turned out to celebrate the accomplishments of girls from across South Georgia.

“Girls on the Run South Georgia is dedicated to making girls who participate in our program joyful, healthy, and confident,” said Mary Crawford, executive director of Girls on the Run South Georgia. “We appreciate President DeAnnia Clements and everyone at Wiregrass Georgia Technical College for hosting us as we celebrate our girls.”

While each season ends with a celebratory 5K, Crawford stressed that Girls on the Run South Georgia is so much more than a running club.

“Our academically proven curriculum is aimed at teaching young girls how to process their emotions, how to be supportive of others, to be empathetic, to be a part of a team, and to be confident in their ability,” she said. “The 5K is symbolic of one of our most important lessons that we teach which is the importance of setting a goal, the preparation required to achieve a goal, and the immense satisfaction of reaching a goal.”

Girls on the Run South Georgia currently supports 19 teams of girls in grades 3 through 8 from 17 different elementary and middle schools across five South Georgia counties. In the future Girls on the Run South Georgia hopes to expand into as many as 34 counties in the region.

“Girls on the Run South Georgia simply could not function without the support of school leaders and our volunteer coaches, most of whom are teachers,” Crawford said. “All we need to reach more girls is a willing school administrator and three volunteer coaches for their site.”

The teams have approximately 16-20 girls. The program runs in the fall and spring semesters with a celebratory season ending 5K at the conclusion of each semester.

Girls on the Run South Georgia recently announced its second annual summer camp for girls, Camp GOTR. This year’s camp will be offered at three different locations in South Georgia: Westside Elementary School in Valdosta, Thomas County Middle School in Thomasville, and Spring Creek Charter Academy in Bainbridge. Camp GOTR will take place June 10-14. Girls who are rising third through fifth grade girls are eligible to attend. The cost to attend Camp GOTR is $100 and includes camp from 8 a.m. until noon each day. To register for Camp GOTR, visit www.gotrsga.org.