Cowtown Marathon delivers running shoes to Fort Worth kids
Cowtown Marathon volunteers will visit 122 school campuses and fit 5,225 kids with new running shoes as part of its C.A.L.F. Program by Feb. 21, the organization said in a news release.
The fitting has become an annual highlight for Cowtown sponsors, staff, volunteers, and board members, the release said. It is a rally point for the Cowtown’s charity mission and an incredible pre-cursor to the event weekend, where the organization celebrates with more than 8,000 youth runners.
“This is one of the most rewarding events and non-profit activities I’ve had the privilege of witnessing,” said Ashley Razo with Academy Sports + Outdoors, the presenting sponsor of the 2020 Cowtown Kids 5K. “Fitting new shoes onto kids who are likely wearing something two sizes too small brings such joy to both the kids and the volunteers.”
Cowtown Executive Director Heidi Swartz said 2020 marks the 11th year the organization has hand-delivered shoes to grant schools.
“We’ve grown exponentially, but the base emotion is the same – pride and confidence that this is the beginning of a health journey for each child,” Swartz said.
Each year the Cowtown processes around 5,500 grant applications for the C.A.L.F program. The 5,225 grants awarded for the 2020 program year brings the 11-year total to 43,000 pairs of shoes.
The Cowtown Marathon, the second largest multi-event road race in North Texas, with seven distance options, has a $10.4 million annual economic impact in Fort Worth, the news release said.
The Cowtown Kids 5K is one of the largest youth races in the nation with more than 8,000 athletes. The 42nd annual Cowtown is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 28 through Sunday, March 1, 2020, at Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth. The proceeds from The Cowtown go directly to The C.A.L.F. Program.
www.cowtownmarathon.org
– FWBP Staff