Today TWELVE of our 3rd, 4th and 5th grade girls participated in the annual San Diego “Girls On the Run” 5K race (3.1 miles) down at Mission Bay. The team arrived around 7:45 in the morning on Sunday, and the race started at 9AM. All in all, it was a beautiful morning for a run along the beach with the Lincoln Family!
“Going the extra mile” —
A HUGE shout out to our amazing Lincoln staff who have supported our team along the way…
Maria Velasquez – For coordinating all of the behind the scenes work to make this dream a reality. It wouldn’t have come together without your leadership!
Coaches: Angelica Perez, Luis “Coach C” Carrillo and Emily Ramirez… For training with the students after school each week, preparing them for the BIG RACE, and running with them on the morning of the event down at Mission Bay!
A Special Shout out to Nhu Tran – For being our team’s biggest surprise cheerleader along the course this morning, and taking some amazing photographs… which I have posted here on our blog!
Finally, our amazing families – Several of our girls had the privilege of running with a family member. They made this event a special occasion for these girls.
A truly amazing event which exemplifies our will and ability to go the “extra mile” to make a DREAM a REALITY for our students. Well done, TEAM!
As the event came to an end, our runners ran through the finish line and collected their well-deserved medals and all-you-can-eat treats along the way!
As our Lincoln team reunited at our meet-up place on the grass beyond the finish line, I noticed that one of our fastest runners, who I had the opportunity to be their “running buddy,” had something which appeared to be hidden under her sweater. She had taken a cup she had received from a water station and filled it with sand from the shores of the beach. I asked her if she was taking it home, and she said, “Yes. I want to show my family.” I asked her, “Have you ever been to the beach before?” She replied, “No. Maybe when I was younger, but I don’t remember.”
As educators, there are random moments in time when we realize that, what appears to be just another event to us, is actually a precious memory for a child. The two of us decided to take a stroll along the water, to experience picking up seashells off the beach. We even found a barnacle! You know, the strange things that live on a whale’s tail?
In the end, she was able to find something for each of her family members… buried deep in a small cup of sand she would carry with her on the bus ride home…anticipating the joy it would bring to her family. Just think about it. She had traveled far from home, to the ocean, and she had collected shells and sand to bring home to her family. I can only imagine how much JOY it would bring, as she told the story of running an amazing race and traveled the shores of the beach she had only dreamed of. She truly made her family proud!
Moments like this give purpose to those of us in education. “Make dreams a Reality.” 🙂
Way to go Lincoln!! Thank you teachers and coaches for making this happen!
🙂
Definitely a memorable event for our girls! 🙂 Hope this program will continue to grow at Lincoln for years to come! Emily, Angelica, Coach C, and Maria – THANK YOU!
And thank you, Jason, for sharing a small but touching moment of that day.
congrats Lincoln team!
What a great event for Lincoln to be a part of! Great work everyone, the girls look l ike they had a fun time.
Such a great opportunity for the girls. Thanks to all the staff who made it possible! Maybe we should just have a beach day?!
Yes!
The kids would love it!
Aw congratulations girls (and coaches)!! And Jason, thanks for reminding us of our “Why” -moments that can come down to a cup of sand.
I would also like to express gratitude to Sandy for helping with registrations, both Nhu and Rosa for helping with family communications, and all the G.O.T.R. Coaches and Jason as they each took on the role of running buddies. This event truly took a village to coordinate!
This was one of the highlights of the year for me! It was such a great culmination to the program, in which many of them doubted that they could finish, so their smiles after completing the run were priceless.