September Newsletter: Message from Spencer and Season Kickoff
The following is text from SRO’s last e-newsletter. To receive the newsletter, join our mailing list by signing up on the home page.
New Season Kickoff
SRO had a great show of support at its meeting for new and returning volunteers on Saturday, September 8. A big thank you goes out to the approximately 50 people who attended.
SRO's executive director, coach, and others told volunteers what to expect as they help students prepare for the LA Marathon. "You will make personal connections with the students and learn about the struggles in their lives," Denise Jeffrey, principal at Leadership Preparatory High School on the Castlemont campus, told the group.
Jeffrey herself ran the LA Marathon with some of her students three years ago. "A lot of my students don't believe in walking three blocks, let alone running 26 miles. I have seen them transform through SRO" -- not only getting in better shape physically, she said, but also "becoming students with grade point averages way above 2.0; students who know they can get into college because they have been challenged and know what they can do."
As in years past, SRO is recruiting from Castlemont (which has become a network of smaller institutions and is now called the Castlemont Community of Small Schools). Other students are likely to come from Met West and Oakland Technical. Executive Director Spencer Hooper and Coach Alphonzo Jackson are meeting with school administrators and making presentations to students throughout September, and those who sign up will receive a free health screening.
If you are interested in volunteering but missed the meeting, please contact volunteer coordinator Christine Chapon. Volunteers are asked to attend at least two Saturday training runs per month. All volunteers must sign a contract and be fingerprinted. See the volunteer section of the website for full details.
Message from the Executive Director
During my travels to Africa this summer, while resting under a tree between stops in my itinerary, I observed four small children come together and play. While I did not understand what they were saying to one another, it seemed they came together in a bit of a mischievous fashion, as small kids do. After a short while, the children moved beyond unfocused play into a suprisingly serious collaboration to build a fort. Each child had a role, and each made a contribution. I was impressed by how naturally and seamlessly they moved from their individual activities to the teamwork required to create something together.
As we begin the 2007-08 season, I frequently reflect on the collaboration required to make a program like SRO succeed. With over 50 new and returning volunteers coming out for our kickoff meeting, I am enthusiastic that we are off to a very strong start.
Perhaps the most significant collaborations facilitating the start of our season are the partnerships between SRO, the County of Alameda's Health Department, and Children's Hospital. I would like to thank Dr. Tony Iton, Alameda County's Director and Health Officer, and his team for providing program funding and nutritional support. Training for the 26.2-mile marathon, as many of you know, is physically very demanding. Before students can begin the training, we require that they pass a medical exam. Oakland's Children's Hospital provides these medical screenings at no charge to SRO. Dr. Barbara Staggers and her team of dedicated doctors take these screenings one step further by coordinating with the State to obtain health care coverage for any student who does not have health insurance.
So, in the spirit of the small kids in Zanzibar who figured out the magic of collaboration without the aid of contracts, formal rules of engagement, or project plans, I celebrate our collective efforts and express thanks to all volunteers and community partners.
The next five months will be quite a journey for all involved. While our collaborations are not always as simple in structure, they demonstrate just as profoundly what can happen when several people, volunteers, teams, and organizations come together with a collective mission.
Welcome and congratulations to all SRO volunteers and supporters for making the commitment to making a difference.
Remember, one generation plants the trees; another gets the shade.
-Spencer Hooper
Key Positions Available
While most SRO volunteers participate by running with the students and staffing water stops, SRO also relies on a core group to manage behind the scenes and to plan for SRO's future. Some roles are open that need qualified people with experience in fundraising, strategic planning, and event planning. Specific positions vacant include: student liaison, website coordinator, fundraising, and photographer. For more information, please contact Spencer Hooper by email or (510) 644-4232.
Thanks
Kudos to coach Matt Forsman, aka "Marathon Matt," for his efforts to raise funds for SRO by forming a team to train together for an upcoming Bay Area race. Team SRO has decided to pick an event in 2008 in lieu of the SF Half Marathon this November in order to build participation and sponsorship. Whether you're a beginning runner who'd like to train for your first race and support SRO in the process, or an advanced runner looking to PR, check out www.marathonmatt.com and email him. Stay tuned for details on Team SRO in the months to come.
Editor’s Note
It was inspiring to see so many of you at the volunteer meeting. Coach Alphonzo captured the essence of what will happen over the next five months of training when he told us, "Take a good look at the kids and remember them at the beginning of the season, and then look at them again on the Monday after the marathon. They are not the same kids." He's right -- and when you combine the transformative power of long-distance running with the mentorship that SRO provides, you've got a formula for achievement that will help these students succeed in life.
- Sarah Lavender Smith, SRO newsletter editor
New Season Kickoff
SRO had a great show of support at its meeting for new and returning volunteers on Saturday, September 8. A big thank you goes out to the approximately 50 people who attended.
SRO's executive director, coach, and others told volunteers what to expect as they help students prepare for the LA Marathon. "You will make personal connections with the students and learn about the struggles in their lives," Denise Jeffrey, principal at Leadership Preparatory High School on the Castlemont campus, told the group.
Jeffrey herself ran the LA Marathon with some of her students three years ago. "A lot of my students don't believe in walking three blocks, let alone running 26 miles. I have seen them transform through SRO" -- not only getting in better shape physically, she said, but also "becoming students with grade point averages way above 2.0; students who know they can get into college because they have been challenged and know what they can do."
As in years past, SRO is recruiting from Castlemont (which has become a network of smaller institutions and is now called the Castlemont Community of Small Schools). Other students are likely to come from Met West and Oakland Technical. Executive Director Spencer Hooper and Coach Alphonzo Jackson are meeting with school administrators and making presentations to students throughout September, and those who sign up will receive a free health screening.
If you are interested in volunteering but missed the meeting, please contact volunteer coordinator Christine Chapon. Volunteers are asked to attend at least two Saturday training runs per month. All volunteers must sign a contract and be fingerprinted. See the volunteer section of the website for full details.
Message from the Executive Director
During my travels to Africa this summer, while resting under a tree between stops in my itinerary, I observed four small children come together and play. While I did not understand what they were saying to one another, it seemed they came together in a bit of a mischievous fashion, as small kids do. After a short while, the children moved beyond unfocused play into a suprisingly serious collaboration to build a fort. Each child had a role, and each made a contribution. I was impressed by how naturally and seamlessly they moved from their individual activities to the teamwork required to create something together.
As we begin the 2007-08 season, I frequently reflect on the collaboration required to make a program like SRO succeed. With over 50 new and returning volunteers coming out for our kickoff meeting, I am enthusiastic that we are off to a very strong start.
Perhaps the most significant collaborations facilitating the start of our season are the partnerships between SRO, the County of Alameda's Health Department, and Children's Hospital. I would like to thank Dr. Tony Iton, Alameda County's Director and Health Officer, and his team for providing program funding and nutritional support. Training for the 26.2-mile marathon, as many of you know, is physically very demanding. Before students can begin the training, we require that they pass a medical exam. Oakland's Children's Hospital provides these medical screenings at no charge to SRO. Dr. Barbara Staggers and her team of dedicated doctors take these screenings one step further by coordinating with the State to obtain health care coverage for any student who does not have health insurance.
So, in the spirit of the small kids in Zanzibar who figured out the magic of collaboration without the aid of contracts, formal rules of engagement, or project plans, I celebrate our collective efforts and express thanks to all volunteers and community partners.
The next five months will be quite a journey for all involved. While our collaborations are not always as simple in structure, they demonstrate just as profoundly what can happen when several people, volunteers, teams, and organizations come together with a collective mission.
Welcome and congratulations to all SRO volunteers and supporters for making the commitment to making a difference.
Remember, one generation plants the trees; another gets the shade.
-Spencer Hooper
Key Positions Available
While most SRO volunteers participate by running with the students and staffing water stops, SRO also relies on a core group to manage behind the scenes and to plan for SRO's future. Some roles are open that need qualified people with experience in fundraising, strategic planning, and event planning. Specific positions vacant include: student liaison, website coordinator, fundraising, and photographer. For more information, please contact Spencer Hooper by email or (510) 644-4232.
Thanks
Kudos to coach Matt Forsman, aka "Marathon Matt," for his efforts to raise funds for SRO by forming a team to train together for an upcoming Bay Area race. Team SRO has decided to pick an event in 2008 in lieu of the SF Half Marathon this November in order to build participation and sponsorship. Whether you're a beginning runner who'd like to train for your first race and support SRO in the process, or an advanced runner looking to PR, check out www.marathonmatt.com and email him. Stay tuned for details on Team SRO in the months to come.
Editor’s Note
It was inspiring to see so many of you at the volunteer meeting. Coach Alphonzo captured the essence of what will happen over the next five months of training when he told us, "Take a good look at the kids and remember them at the beginning of the season, and then look at them again on the Monday after the marathon. They are not the same kids." He's right -- and when you combine the transformative power of long-distance running with the mentorship that SRO provides, you've got a formula for achievement that will help these students succeed in life.
- Sarah Lavender Smith, SRO newsletter editor
posted by Unknown at 8:55 PM
<< Home