Building Strong Girls

Girls on the Run (GOTR), our philanthropic partner, made a significant impact at the 81st Convention in Chicago, Illinois. Two key staff members of GOTR International, Liz Wian (senior vice president of partnerships and development) and Kelsi Auker (development coordinator), were on-site for the four days, connecting with members, catching up with former GOTR participants-turned-Gamma Phis and advancing our philanthropic focus of Building Strong Girls.

To make this focus tangible, Liz and Kelsi brought a stack of blank GOTR cards, inviting members to write inspirational messages for current GOTR participants. Our True and Constant sisters rose to the occasion, filling the cards with encouraging words and pictures. By the end of Convention, not a single blank card remained.

Another GOTR highlight was Liz’s inspiring speech during the Friday afternoon business session. She shared impactful stories of both GOTR participants and Gamma Phis, highlighting impressive statistics, such as GOTR supporting more than 2.5 million girls since its founding in 1996 — over two million of whom have been reached since our partnership began in 2012. Liz urged everyone to embrace their 'I Can!' Power, concluding with these motivating words:

“Remember that your 'I Can!' Power is ALWAYS inside of you, encouraging you to try new things, make mistakes and keep going when things get hard…because you can do hard things!”

In addition, Liz and Kelsi distributed pink capes throughout Convention, each bearing our focus, Building Strong Girls, as a reminder of our shared values. Liz encouraged everyone to grab a cape at the GOTR booth to proudly display their GOTR spirit throughout Convention, during fall recruitment or at a GOTR 5K.

To learn more about our incredible philanthropic partner, and to find a council nearest you, visit GirlsOnTheRun.org