FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Dianemarie (DM) Collins
DM Productions LLC
(775) 825-1727
The Nevada Wide Open Marathon de Mayo
Adds "Kids 26.2 Marathon" to Race
(The Kids 26.2 Marathon at the Nevada Wide Open Marathon de Mayo is where
the final 1.2 mile portion of the marathon’s 26.2 miles will be completed at
the finish line of the marathon … Under the Reno Arch. Each child receives a
marathon medal for their efforts plus prize rewards as they meet milestones
along the way.)
(Reno, Nev.) – Tuesday was cold and windy, but that didn’t discourage the
almost 50 Echo Loder Elementary students from racing out of the classroom
toward the field where they ran their bi-weekly mile run preparing for the
Kids 26.2 Marathon, the newest race added to the Nevada Wide Open Marathon
de Mayo happening over Cinco de Mayo weekend. The Kids 26.2 Marathon is
where the final 1.2 mile portion of the marathon’s 26.2 miles will be
completed at the finish line of the marathon … Under the Reno Arch.
Each child receives the Inaugural Marathon Medal for their efforts plus
prize rewards as they meet milestones along the way. On Tuesday, March 14,
at 2:30 p.m. they reach the ten-mile mark on their training and will have a
celebration at the school for them from the sponsors. Media is invited to
the fun on Tuesday afternoon.
All of the students at Echo Loder Elementary, who had never heard about a
marathon before now, are excited about running in the race … Though two
students of the race team had very different reasons for running the
marathon.
Nathaniel Johnson, age 10, says "I want to run the marathon for the medal
and to add to my skill as a runner." But petite Nayeli Cazares, age 8,
says, "I am running the marathon so my mom can be proud of me."
Teachers, Jennifer Andrew and Laurie Campbell started the kids off on their
runs, marking the hands four times after each circle of the quarter mile
track. Currently 50 children have taken a pledge to run the necessary miles
each week until the marathon on May 7, 2006. The kids' commitments include
staying fit and eating healthy.
"We are finally getting things started here at Echo Loder to organize a
school running team. We opened up the race to 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders,"
says Andrew, an English Second Language (ESL) teacher at the school. "They
will have to complete 25 miles by May 4 before the Nevada Wide Open Marathon
de Mayo on May 7th. Then they'll run their final 1.2 miles starting at mile
marker 25 on the course located at Taylor Street and California Avenue."
American Family Insurance has come forward as the title sponsor for this
team of kids. Their sponsorship covers most of the costs for the kids to
run the marathon, and supply the team with racing shirts. Other sponsors
such as Windermere Real Estate, Nevada Commission On Tourism, Champion
Chevrolet, and Jamba Juice are providing the children with rewards for
additional momentum as they reach big mile markers in their quest to
complete the marathon.
Teacher Andrew says she began the Kids 26.2 Marathon as a way to start a
running team for the school while encouraging healthy lifestyles for her
students.
"I ran a marathon and am currently training for my second one. When I
finished I was so elated with my accomplishment I wanted to share some of
that confidence-building with my students. What I have also discovered is
that some students that have not been the most enthusiastic about other
classes have taken to the marathon training with great exuberance."
About Echo Loder School
From Principal Carole Worthenb
Echo Loder Elementary School is located in one of the older sections of
inner city Reno. The school houses 581 students in a building that was
designed for 480. Our school has a minority population of 93% predominantly
Hispanic. Of our minority population most are second language learners.
Fifty-four percent of our second language learners qualify for extended
educational assistance based on the state adopted Language Assessment Scales
(LAS). Our school's free and reduced lunch rate, when including our
kindergartners, is 96%. The vast majority of our students are language
impoverished due to environmental issues. This reality is the basis of our
proposal for the professional development and growth of our staff in the
area of language acquisition and literacy.
Having been involved in professional development for four years, the staff
has expressed an urgent need to know about the way children acquire language
and how it impacts reading and writing. We propose intense study and action
research projects to increase our knowledge and skills as literacy
instructors of language deficient learners. Our goal is to create a center
for professional development that will promote research based on best
teaching practices. We will engage in longitudinal studies and case
histories. Through the use of technology we hope to share our thoughts,
ideas and conundrums with like school across the country. In our first two
years we will expand our knowledge base and gather data. We will then begin
a global study, through the Internet, to share our findings with other
schools. The goals in this proposal will address the first two years of a
very long, in-depth and exciting journey.
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