Golden Gate Rocks the Phoenix Rock 'N Roll Marathon

The kids' quest began in September when they began doing fun activities at the Golden Gate Community Center gym to begin to accumulate the 26.2 miles they needed to complete the marathon.  When the kids hit the half way mark they were rewarded with brand new running shoes that were funded through Esperanca.  "Working with the kids was such a joy to all of the staff here," said Maria Valenzuela of Golden Gate.  "It was so rewarding to see how hard they were pushing themselves." 

Race day came on January 16 at Tempe Beach Park. There were over 4,000 participants. The Golden Gate kids received t-shirts that said "Kids Rock/Golden Gate."  They lined up at the start line and finished up their marathon with a one mile run.  At the conclusion of the race the kids received a medal, lots of snacks, and a big goodie bag.  "They all did such a wonderful job of pushing themselves and each other.  We were all so proud to see that through all of this they always pushed each other and treated each other like they were a team," added Maria.  "It was a great leaning experience for all of us and we are looking forward to doing this again next year!"