Porter County Parks & Recreation is incorporating programming this fall to introduce local kids to the joy of running through their Youth Cross Country and Girls on the Run Programming. Both programs emphasize the Department’s mission to provide quality programming that allows participants to enjoy the outdoors and natural environment of the parks, while building lifetime fitness skills and habits.
The Youth Cross Country program is new to Porter County Parks this year. This program welcomes kids ages 4-12 of all skill levels. The program will introduce them to distance running through activities and training targeted at the different age levels. Practices will be held Thursday evenings from 5-6 p.m. at Sunset Hill Farm County Park starting September 4th and running through October 16th. The team will compete with the Valpo YMCA and Valpo Parks team in meets held at Rogers Lake Wood Park and Sunset Hill on Saturday mornings- September 27, October 4, 11 and 18th. The cost for the program is $45.
Porter County Parks is also proud to continue their partnership with the Girls on the Run Program through teams hosted at both Sunset Hill Farm and Woodland Park. This program is targeted at girls in grades 3-5 and helps them build fitness skills while teaching them about self-esteem in a safe environment. There are still spots available for the Woodland Park team which will begin Tuesday September 2nd and run through November 11th. The group meets at Woodland Park in Portage on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:15-5:45. The registration fee for Girls on the Run is on a sliding scale.
To learn more about these programs as well as other programs offered through Porter County Parks contact Recreation Director, Becky Kreiger, at 219-734-0203 or bkreiger@porterco.org.