The Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey chapter of Girls Inc. hosted its Health and Wellness Marathon with more than 100 students in attendance Saturday, May 6 at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center. The students participated in a full day of squash alongside other wellness opportunities including yoga, kickboxing, martial arts, and dance workouts, taking full advantage of the space provided by all 20 Specter Center courts. In addition to the on-court activities, medical and nutritional workshops, self-care workshops, and lunch were on offer to participants.
Girls Inc. encompasses a network of local nonprofit organizations that serve girls ages 5-18 at more than 1,500 sites in 350 cities across the United States and Canada. The Health & Wellness Marathon builds on US Squash’s partnership with Girls Inc. providing access to clinics and family squash opportunities at the Specter Center for the 2,000 girls who are members of the Philadelphia chapter.
“Girls Inc. of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey is grateful to all of our partners who made this event possible,” said Brionna Pendelton-Wise, Mentoring & Leadership Coordinator for Girls Inc. and director of the Marathon. “Thank you to the Specter Center and its staff for providing such a beautiful venue for this special day for our students!”
“Through our partnership with Girls Inc., we are making strides towards our goal of dramatically increasing the number of girls participating in the sport,” said Narelle Krizek, Director of Women & Girls at US Squash. “We were proud to work with such amazing partners in Girls Inc. to deliver a fun and educational day of programming here at the Specter Center, and it was so encouraging to see the joy the girls and their families showed on court as they had the opportunity to learn squash.”
Girls Inc. participants were able to sign up for sponsored memberships at the Specter Center and upcoming after school clinics. This summer, US Squash will continue the momentum from this spring’s programming by hosting Girls Inc. students for four weeks of camps, and through engagement in the Work Ready internship program that will train participants as certified squash coaches and provide additional workforce development skills.