During a time when many young girls are grappling with mental health struggles and need positive role models, two extraordinary women have emerged as beacons of leadership in their communities – Bailey Davie of El Paso, Texas, and Megan Wolfe of Snohomish County, Washington. With heartfelt dedication, they established new Girls on the Run councils, opening doors for local girls to engage in fun physical activity and cultivate lasting life skills. Bailey and Megan’s commitment to our mission embodies what it means to use your voice to uplift the next generation. Thanks to their effort and example, more girls have access to a program that encourages them to follow their own dreams and become the changemakers of tomorrow.
While Girls on the Run El Paso is a new, just-finished-its-first-season affiliate council of the Junior League of El Paso, Inc. and GOTR Snohomish County has been operating for 10 years, both councils’ stories equally showcase the power of remaining resilient and reaching big goals. This blog delves into their inspiring narratives, their impact on participants and communities, and why others should consider bringing GOTR into their neighborhoods. Read how you can join this transformative movement and, like Bailey and Megan, start or support a council near you!
What is your ‘why’ for starting a Girls on the Run council?
Bailey, GOTR El Paso: Our “why” for starting a council was to provide opportunities for members of our community to make a significant impact through volunteerism. We (I) only had a little initial knowledge of the program but after meeting with Girls on the Run International (GOTRI) and speaking with other Junior Leagues that support GOTR we discovered the program’s community and volunteer impact and understood why it is necessary. When I reviewed the programming materials and reflected on my childhood, it became evident how this initiative could have influenced my personal development. This reflection further affirmed the pressing need for such a program in El Paso. Our community is primarily Hispanic, with a median household income below $60,000. Young children encounter numerous challenges every day. The confidence and knowledge girls gain from this program can enhance their personal development and impact their friends and family, moving everyone forward together.
Bailey (front and center in red shirt holding a baby in a pink bow), GOTR El Paso participants, coaches, and council members coming together for an all-time great group photo.
Megan, GOTR Snohomish County: My “why” for Girls on the Run began the day I nervously walked out onto the field at the elementary school where I signed up to be a 5K Buddy. (5K Buddies are volunteers who run/walk/roll beside GOTR participants and encourage them throughout the 5K.) After a series of life-altering personal events, I knew I needed a volunteer opportunity that would fill me up. I Googled words like “volunteering with kids,” “confidence-building,” and “uplifting girls” at a time when I needed a confidence boost and a joyful volunteer opportunity. In that search, I found Girls on the Run of Puget Sound and signed up to be a 5K Buddy, which immediately had me hooked. I signed up to coach the following season.
Two and a half years after joining the GOTR community, I ran a GOTR 5K with one of the girls I had coached for three seasons. I had a new baby and a 3.5-year-old. After a challenging few years, I was happy. At the 5K, my niece’s grandma asked why her school didn’t offer this program, and I told her there wasn’t a group in that part of Washington. She casually told me I should get it started. I laughed at the idea, as I had a toddler and a baby. It seemed daunting, and I had no idea where to begin. But like all life-changing ideas, this one took root, and over the next few weeks, I became convinced it was exactly the career path I’d been looking for.
Megan sharing her spark and shining bright at a 5K Celebration.
What challenges and obstacles did you encounter along the way?
Bailey, GOTR El Paso: Planning and budgeting were challenges for our team. It’s tricky and intimidating to plan and budget for something you have never done before. Since we received funding from the Junior League, planning was more difficult than budgeting, but it was important to get the numbers right to set up our first season for success. Additionally, timing proved a challenge, but not one that we couldn’t overcome, as our new council’s upcoming program timeline didn’t exactly align with our membership’s placement timeline. We were recruiting for the program while simultaneously learning how everything worked! Throughout it all, though, we had full, intentional support from GOTRI and a strong team of Junior League volunteers who were ready to go the extra mile.
Bailey celebrating a GOTR girl achieving her goal of crossing the finish line at the 5K.
Megan, GOTR Snohomish County: In 2020, after four years of steady growth, where our biggest challenge was keeping up with the community’s desire for our program, we felt like we were finally getting our feet under us. We headed into year five with confidence and big goals. But three days before our spring season started, schools shut down. With the growing COVID threat, we noticed sluggish registration numbers and knew we’d have some challenges, but we did not anticipate fully canceling the season. Like all councils during this time, we had to pivot our plans and make operation, programmatic, and staffing changes. Many of our original goals, events, and milestones did not come to fruition as our best options for events and engagement were limited and virtual.
Megan and a GOTR participant in full hero-mode, capes and all!
What strategies and solutions were effective in overcoming these challenges?
Bailey, GOTR El Paso: The entire GOTRI staff was invaluable during the initial planning stages and still is. We spent many hours on the phone reviewing budgets for suitable spending and appropriate planning of how many sites and children we could serve in our first season based on experience from other new councils. Additionally, we relied heavily on the resources from GOTRI, connections, and advice from other councils and other youth-serving organizations in our community. It was helpful to gather their knowledge and input on what would be successful in El Paso.
Bailey (last on the right) with GOTR team mates post-finish line at a 5K Celebration. (Courtesy of www.lilianachavezphotography.com)
Megan, GOTR Snohomish County: When I decided I wanted to start a council and didn’t know where to start, I was still volunteering at GOTR Puget Sound. Their team, along with the staff at GOTR West Sound was so supportive of this decision and shared countless pieces of insight and information. Having that council network support from the very start made a huge difference and was extremely helpful.
More recently, I credit our incredible team, which includes myself, Leah Bernstein, our program director, and Audrey Johnson, our communications director, our board members, council and GOTRI network, and our supportive community, for our survival during the pandemic and our growth since it ended. During this period, we spent much of our downtime focusing on inclusion, diversity, equity, and access (IDEA), which has enriched our work in meaningful ways. We built new partnerships, got creative on program delivery, and added Camp GOTR to our offerings. At times, it felt like we’d just done the work of building an organization from scratch only to have to do it again, but hindsight allows me to appreciate that we did it better the second time. But we stuck with it, listened to our community’s needs, and had our most significant season yet in 2024!
Megan using her Star Power to get folks pumped up at a 5K Celebration.
What are some of the roles and contributions of various founding members?
Bailey, GOTR El Paso: GOTR El Paso is supported almost 100% by the Junior League of El Paso (JL El Paso) and its membership. As such, when we opened our council, it was important that our chapter was fully invested in supporting this responsibility. Deanee Adams (president of JL El Paso at the time) and Erin Miller (VP of admin of JL El Paso) were the champions of bringing GOTR to El Paso. Setting us up for success, they pulled the hundreds of emails, texts, and napkin scribbles into action. The steering committee also helped us get us into school(s). Then and now, even though we are entirely volunteer-operated, we delegate responsibilities for PR, recruitment, merchandise, etc., amongst our committee. To this day, we maintain a continuous line of communication with the team that initially brought GOTR to El Paso.
Bailey (last person on the right) and GOTR El Paso’s founding members embracing togetherness at the 5K.
Megan, GOTR Snohomish County: Our journey would not have been possible without the incredible support of many awesome people over the years. Our founding board members, including Kerry Richter, board chair, were critical to our launch and early success in our community. Board members helped write grants, solicit donations and sponsorships, stuff team bins, organize the 5K, and more. It was all hands on deck for the first year. This group helped us grow from 40 kids in our first season to 125 in our second. They also understood early that building a sustainable organization included paid staff. This work set the stage for our focus on employee compensation and supportive organizational culture.
Megan (in rainbow tutu) and her talented team bringing positive energy and big smiles at a sunny 5K Celebration.
What comes to mind when you reflect on the journey and the impact of starting a new council?
Bailey, GOTR El Paso: This program is remarkable! If there is a will, there is a way! The support we receive from GOTR HQ staff makes all this possible. Even though we’re only a handful of weeks into the first season, reading emails from parents about how GOTR has already impacted their child in the short time frame is so rewarding. We have also received unsolicited “thank yous” from parents who had their children participate in other cities and are happy to see it here. This further drives the point home. It’s been an incredible 12 months.
Bailey (center in pink shirt) with GOTR girls to learn life skills, build confidence, and find joy in movement.
Megan, GOTR Snohomish County: At our recent Sneaker Soiree fundraising event, three former GOTR participants spoke on a panel. Seeing them now as high school and college students and hearing them speak about the long-term benefits of the program – increased confidence, recognizing negative self-talk, and more – highlighted our impact on young people in our community. We have centered IDEA principles throughout our work, maintained a long-tenured team, and created an incredible local GOTR community.
Reflecting on the past decade, we’ve had a lot of big ups and downs, but I’m so proud of the organization we’ve built and the more than 4,000 girls we served. Nearly 13 years ago, I discovered Girls on the Run when I needed it myself. I have never lost that feeling that I belong in this community. It is a privilege to do this work. I am proud that I took the plunge 10 years ago to start Girls on the Run of Snohomish County.
Megan being a queen (crown included!) of inclusion, leadership, and kindness at a 5K.
Every girl deserves an inclusive place of belonging where she can discover her strengths and realize her potential. Are you ready to join the movement and foster welcoming environments for today’s girls? To learn more about starting a council or to bring a team to your community, please send your questions to startinggotr@girlsontherun.org. We can’t wait to hear from you!
