Running to help

Baldwin’s Girls on the Run team was comprised of girls from each elementary school. From top left, clockwise, were coaches Rebecca Russell and Carmel Quane, students Zoey Davidson, Saoirse Quane, Angelina Feeney, Abigail Kaminski, Lia Rebore, Kira Russell, Jadeyn Rivera, Emma Hauer-de Guzman, coach Joan Nielsen, Steele Principal Lori Presti, Reyna Palmer, Megan Englehart, Kadence Blount, Sophia Waney, Anna Wehr and Nia Maco.

Taylor Zambrano/Herald

Saoirse Quane, a fourth grader at Steele Elementary School, came in first place in a Girls on The Run of Nassau County-sponsored 5K race on May 31.

Courtesy Rhonda Maco

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There are many people in Baldwin who are quick to help out non-profit organizations and people in need. For a group of elementary school girls, though, they were literally quick in helping out.

On May 31, 14 girls from each of Baldwin’s five elementary schools entered a 5K race at Hofstra University sponsored by Girls on The Run of Nassau County, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing together young girls and teaching them valuable life lessons while participating in running games.

The race is supposed to be non-competitive. However, when Saoirse Quane, a fourth grader at Steele Elementary School was out in front, her coaches were curious and clocked the time. Quane won the race by finishing the 3.1-mile course in 26 minutes.

A few of the girls said they were exhausted and could not feel their legs by the end of the run. Jayden Rivera said she was tired after running the race, but she loved running with her friends.

Rhonda Maco, who served as the site liaison between Hofstra and Steele, contacted Lori Presti, principal at Steele, after learning about the program and got permission to use Steele’s facilities for the girls to practice and train.

Maco said the program focuses on empowering girls, building their confidence and focuses on teamwork. She said the race was anti-competition and had nothing to do with who came in first, but had a large positive effect on the Baldwin community as a whole. “[The girls] get to meet with girls from all over Baldwin before they get together in middle school,” Maco said. “This program bridges the community together.”

She added that one of the goals is to get a team together for middle school girls in the sixth grade because students aren’t allowed to join school sports until they reach the seventh grade. This way, the young girls don’t have to wait another whole year to participate.

On the evening of June 9, the team of girls, comprised of third-through-sixth graders, and their coaches got together to celebrate their accomplishments as well as reflect on what lessons they learned throughout the program.