Girls on the Run of West Sound hosted its inaugural Dream Big Run-a-thon Fundraiser Nov. 15 at Route 16 Running and Walking in Gig Harbor. The event attracted runners and walkers from as far north as Poulsbo and as far south as Tacoma who committed to 1 hour on the treadmill and raising a minimum of $140.

The event surpassed the $3,000 goal and raised almost $5,000. The event organizers said they had about 30 participants who logged 131 miles, on three treadmills in just 10 hours.

The money raised at this event will help Girls on the Run of West Sound continue to grow in the Kitsap County, Mason County and Gig Harbor areas. The program has served just under 200 girls in its first year and is currently running its fall program. Their fall 5K will conclude on Dec. 6 in Port Orchard at the Arthritis Foundation’s Jingle Bell Run.

Girls on the Run is a 10-week program, designed for girls in third to fifth grades and uses a curriculum that covers topics such as self-awareness, building healthy relationships and developing personal strengths. The program lessons also include the completion of a community service project and running practice with the end goal of completing a non-competitive 5k.

To learn more about the program, visit www.girlsontherunkitsap.org or Facebook page at www.facebook.com/GOTRWS. Girls on the Run of West Sound is actively recruiting and accepting applications for their board of directors. Contact Rachel Bearbower via email at rachel.bearbower@girlsontherun.org to learn more.