Simon Greiner Program Gets Kids Ready to Run!
The start of school is always an exciting time at C4K. Our Locker Room has families and coaches visiting every day to get shoes and equipment. Our programs also start picking up during this exciting time. This year not only marks 10 years of equipping and empowering kids, it is also the fifth year of our Simon Greiner Track & Field Program.
The Simon Greiner Track & Field Program was started in 2017 as a collaborative partnership between C4K, Fields & Futures, The Greiner Family and Red Coyote Running & Fitness. The Greiner Family wanted to find a way to honor their son Simon’s memory while also getting more kids involved in the sport of running. The staff at C4K immediately jumped on board as running shoes continue to be one of our most popular Locker Room items. Having a pair of good running shoes is the gateway to a safer physical activity and a healthier life!
Over the last five years, the Simon Greiner Program has equipped over 1,000 runners with brand new running shoes and spikes. Each season we work with more runners from more OKCPS schools. This cross-country season, we officially served 8 high schools and 8 middle schools through this program for a total of 332 runners! Teams that participate are given special programming from the team at Fields & Futures and are specially fitted for their trainers and spikes by the professionals at Red Coyote. They also receive a special pair of running socks that will help them stay safe and comfortable while training.
“The Simon Greiner Track & Field Program is such an incredible gift to our OKCPS athletes and their coaches,” C4K Director of Operations, Allyson Meyer said, “These new trainers, spike and socks allow these students to be a part of a team and grow in their sport. This program is a true collaborative effort – we all work together to make sure these athletes have what they need to succeed.”
We know that having access to much-needed resources helps more kids get involved in sports and extracurricular activities. The Simon Greiner Program is no different – since this program started, we have seen several programs experience triple digit growth!
This cross-country season is already well underway, with many of our teams competing at the Pre-State meet at Edmond Santa Fe as well as running in the return of the Cowboy Jamboree at OSU! We are so excited for these runners as they continue to beat their PR’s all season long! Check out more photos from the season so far below!
