Finding Our Stride raises over $13k for Upper Valley nonprofits

Eagle Times Staff
NORWICH, Vt. — Finding Our Stride (FOS), a nonprofit dedicated to fostering fitness, self-esteem, and resilience among Upper Valley youth, raised $13,666 for 17 additional local nonprofits this spring. The annual tradition benefitted nine new organizations and saw participation from 25 out of 31 FOS teams across the region. The collective effort included team fundraising, FOS contributions and matching funds from an anonymous donor.

During the spring season, each elementary and middle school team meets to discuss the impact they want to have on their community and select a nonprofit beneficiary for which to raise funds or goods. This year, runners placed an emphasis on food access as an increasing number of Upper Valley families rely on food pantry assistance.

“We met as a team and talked about the things we’d like to change in our world. The kids did not like the fact that there are children in our community who don’t have enough food to eat,” said Nina D’Cruze, coach at Mount Lebanon Elementary School, whose team raised funds for Willing Hands last year.

The White River School BATs collected hundreds of cereal boxes for Sharing and Caring Food Pantry, a 24-hour self-serve, street-side pantry in downtown White River Junction. Runners set up the boxes in a domino formation in the gym and invited the whole school to watch them fall at assembly. After the cheering went quiet, the team paraded the boxes down the street to deliver the goods.

Some teams ran laps around their school to raise funds for playground improvements. Others joined together to run in organized benefit races, and FOS paid runners’ race entry fees. Piermont Village School, Newbury Elementary School, Haverhill Cooperative Middle School, and Bradford Elementary School participated in Race to the Top of Bradford to raise funds for The Friends of Wright’s Mountain; Sharon Elementary School and Thetford Elementary School ran in “Take to the Trails” to benefit the Maple Leaf Children’s Center in Thetford; Barnard Academy participated in Race Around the Lake, a fundraiser for BarnArts Youth Programming; and Dothan Brook School, Ottauquechee School, and White River School ran in the “Hurricane Hustle” community building event.

While each team selects its own fundraiser in the spring, the entire Finding Our Stride organization comes together each fall for the Dartmouth Health Children’s CHaD Hero Run. Last fall, 568 runners, coaches, and families ran with FOS and raised $74,000 for Dartmouth Health Children’s. In total, Finding Our Stride has raised more than $219,000 for Upper Valley nonprofits since 2016.