Executive Director Message

Sept. 5 Screening of Runners High and Sept. 6 Volunteer Kick-Off Typically, over the summer, the small SRO staff is busy preparing for the upcoming season, and at this time we start to welcome our volunteers and partners to kick off another successful season. This year, our non-training "down time" looked quite different. For the first time, we extended our program for the students beyond the culminating events -- the March marathon and annual banquet. We hosted a series of runs for those students and volunteers who wanted to get together after the season ended. We formed an operational team that is off to a terrific start and gained quite a bit of momentum during the period we would have called our down time. And some of our volunteer teams, such as the grant writing team, continued their work through the off season. The truth is that SRO has moved beyond a seasonal program to one that is planning and building all year round. While personally I have to admit that I liked having some of that "down time," as it relates to SRO, it gives me great pride to see our collective movement and advancement of SRO's mission. So while our down time or off season is a notion of the past, our drive towards working with young people to help prepare them for life is even stronger, and we are commencing the 2008-09 program better positioned than ever before. To welcome you into the '08-09 program year, we would like to invite you to two upcoming events: On Friday, September 5, KQED will host a special screening of the documentary Runners High, which profiles four students during their season with SRO. The filmmakers, former SRO students, and SRO staff will be speakers at the event and participate in a question-and-answer prior to the viewing of the movie. Pack up a picnic and bring your blankets and chairs for this free outdoor screening to share the experience of Oakland youths training to run the Los Angeles Marathon. The event is part of KQED's Truly CA Sunset Cinema series and the Oakland Museum's "First Friday after Five." The museum's gardens open for picnics at 7 p.m. and the film and conversation begin at 7:30. The event takes place at the Oakland Museum, 1000 Oak Street in Downtown Oakland. More information is at the film's website www.runnershighfilm.com and KQED. On Saturday, September 6, we invite all new and returning volunteers to our Volunteer Kick-Off Meeting for the 2008-09 program. The location is the Alameda County Public Health offices, 1000 Broadway, Suite #A Oakland, from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. We value your presence at that meeting; it will give you an opportunity to meet with the staff, current and new volunteers; get answers to your questions regarding the program; and socialize and be ready for October 4, the first weekend run with the students. We hope you will be able to join us for one or both of the upcoming events. We look forward to seeing you and for working together for another successful year. - Spencer Hooper