Monte Vista Elementary School students who are part of the school’s Girls on the Run program will be holding a fundraising bake sale for La Crescenta Library. This event is a community project for Girls on the Run and will be on March 1 at 10:30 a.m. at the La Crescenta Library, 2809 Foothill Blvd. 

Monte Vista Elementary School has been hosting Girls on the Run for more than 10 years. Girls on the Run takes place during fall and spring. All coaches are volunteers and are trained on a seasonal basis. The program and curriculum is designed for girls in grades three through six. Though there is running it’s not a prerequisite. Girls don’t need to be athletes; all types of girls – whether runners, walkers, joggers, dancers and even “skippers” – are embraced by the program. Girls on the Run meets twice a week and a different lesson is taught at every meet. Running and a practice 5K is done at the training site. 

Part of the training and lessons is an opportunity to take part in a community project. According to organizers, this is important because it teaches the girls to give back to their community. The girls decided to hold a bake sale to help La Crescenta Library purchase books. 

The program also teaches and encourages girls to be confident, caring and generous. It helps them to learn to express themselves when they are experiencing challenges in their lives.

At the end of the season, all the Girls on the Run teams from across Los Angeles meet at Whittier Narrows Lake to celebrate the official end of the season with a 5K. This is a fun time for all of the girls to run with their teammates and family members.

Fall season coaches are Itohan Aghayere, Edith Estrada, Oralia Kameny, Kevin Kroeker and Tina Polsi.