Running Down A Dream
Running Down a Dream is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to creating a world where every kid has the opportunity to be healthy, fit, equipped so they reach their highest dreams & aspirations in life. We do this by coaching & mentoring kids while participating in fitness allowing them different ways to connect with our organization. We can provide kids with a pair of running shoes, health education, and training so they can actively pursue their dreams and goals.
Our mission is to provide running shoes, health education, and running & walking training to every kid in need so they can live a healthier life, train, and succeed in all areas of their life.
Running Down a Dream offers kids a place, outside of school, for them to make new friends, set and reach goals, learn about living a healthy lifestyle, and get rewarded.
Our organization does three things: We collect new and gently worn running shoes, clean & disinfect the gently used pairs, and then give them back to kids in Central Texas who cannot afford a pair on their own.
We also have a Run 4 Life Running & Walking Program that allows any kid between 1st grade and high school to join us for a weekly meetup where kids will meet other young kids and running coaches and go out for a run/walk in their city.
As a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, we rely on donations from YOU and local stores so that we can get kids who are in need of a new pair of shoes, the pair that they have dreamed about.
What We Do
01.
— We Give Back
Any new or gently worn pair of running or tennis shoes that we receive, gets appropriately cleaned and given to a child in need. All monetary donations go directly into buying shoes through our partnering stores and shoe vendors.
02.
— We Educate
Through years of education and mentorships from some of Central Texas’ best runners, we teach multiple training methods to our kids including, how to correctly fuel your body with food, how much water they should be drinking, how much exercise they should be getting, and prepare a running training schedule for them.
03.
— We Mentor
When we host events, runners from all over Central Texas participate in order to give back to the kids their stories of ups and downs, challenges, successes and failures. We push the kids to talk to our coaching mentors so that they can help them through their training and life obstacles.
04.
— We Train
Using various training methods based on each kid’s appropriate distance, speed, and experience, we prepare each kid with an accurate training schedule they can follow and log so that they are ready to perform well on race day.
05.
— We Lead
Many kids who come through our program will come back and want to coach a running group of fellow kids. We encourage previous runners who complete our program, to come back and work alongside one of our running mentors to learn how they can take leadership qualities into their own lives and to their peers.
06.
— We Reward
As an incentive, when our runners complete their training and desired race, they will be given a choice of reward. These rewards include free tickets to sporting events, free pairs of shoes, free gift cards, and many other choices.