By Tom Bannister

On Saturday, May 20, students and staff members East Somerville Community School, West Somerville Neighborhood School, Dr. Albert F. Argenziano School, and Benjamin G. Brown School, will participate in the 8th Annual Playworks Run for Recess 5K presented by Playworks New England, New Balance, Positive Tracks, and Social Boston Sports. Funds raised through the family friendly 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run, which will take place along Franklin Park’s world-famous cross country course adjacent to the zoo in Roxbury, will support play and physical activity in 75 elementary schools across New England.

School team members will join an expected 1,000 participants who will run with the collective goal of raising $15,000 for Playworks New England. In its 11th year, the nonprofit, which is part of a national organization, brings play and youth development programming into schools during recess as a means to improve the health and well-being of children and to enhance learning through the power of play.

“At Playworks New England, we are working to transform recess into a place where all students are given the opportunity to feel included, be active, and build valuable conflict resolution, social, and emotional skills needed to thrive in the classroom and beyond,” says Jonathan Gay, Playworks New England Executive Director. “We are grateful to all of our school partners who allow us to work with their students and staff members to ensure that all youth have a place on the playground.”

For the third consecutive year, Positive Tracks is the event’s Presenting Partner. The sports-based youth development organization empowers youth to get active and give back. The nonprofit assists Playworks New England with supporting youth participants by providing FREE hands on help, advocacy tips, and team building tools to help youth use their own minds and muscle to help causes they care about. In addition to helping kids learn how to sweat for good, Positive Tracks matches all money raised by Playworks Run for Recess 5K youth participants ages 23 and under. Additionally, Playworks is honored to have New Balance and Social Boston Sports join as event sponsors. For 10 years, New Balance has been the premier movement partner for Playworks New England.

Participants can choose from one of two running routes along the Franklin Park Playstead Field. All runners will get a Playworks goodie bag. The first 400 runners registered will receive a free Playworks t-shirt. An award presentation for the top three finishers will take place at the conclusion of the race. All participants will receive certificates.

Registration and start times are as follows:

• Pre-Registration and Registration opens at 8:30 a.m.
• One Mile Fun Run beings at 10 a.m.
• 5K Run for Recess begins at 10:30 a.m.
• Recess 12:00pm – 1:00pm

All ages welcome. Registration fees range from $10 to $50, dependent upon route and group packages. All fees increase by $5 for onsite at Franklin Park. To register for the 8th Annual Playworks Run for Recess 5K on May 20, to support a school team, or to volunteer, visit: https://www.playworks.org/communities/massachusetts/events/8th-annual-playworks-run-recess. For further questions, contact Karleen Herbst, Playworks New England Development Manager, at kherbst@playworks.org or call (617)-708-1734.

About Playworks New England:

Playworks New England is a regional branch of a national nonprofit working to bring play and physical activity into elementary schools as a means to improve the health and well-being of children and to enhance learning. Through onsite direct-service coaching and training school faculty and staff, Playworks integrates physical activity and social and emotional learning skill-building into organized activities during recess to create a space where students feel included, are active, and build valuable social and emotional skills needed to thrive in the classroom and beyond. Entering its 11th year, Playworks New England serves 50,000 students in more than 100 elementary schools across Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. To date, the nonprofit has served 160,000 youth. For more information, visit: http://www.playworks.org/communities/massachusetts.

New Balance Foundation:

Since 1981, the New Balance Foundation has served a deeply held mission: to support charitable organizations whose humanitarian efforts work for the betterment of our children and communities. The heart of the focus of the Foundation is the prevention of childhood obesity.

About Positive Tracks:

Positive Tracks (positivetracks.org) is a national, sports-based youth development organization that helps youth get active and give back. Positive Tracks combines philanthropy and athletics to empower young people to be partners, participants and leaders in making the world better, starting with themselves. Contact CEO & Founder Nini Meyer: nmeyer@positivetracks.org

About Social Boston Sports:

Social Boston Sports (SBS) was created in January 2007 by four young professionals with the goal of keeping the fun we had in college alive after college. Today, SBS is a rapidly growing community of SBS-ers who love to have fun and live life to the fullest! Specifically, SBS provides our community members, aka SBS-ers, with an organized way to get involved in coed recreational sports leagues, events, and adventure trips throughout Boston.