Beginning in the fall, the Gazelle Foundation will be sponsoring an after school running club at Allison Elementary in partnership with Communities in Schools. Allison Elementary is located in the east Austin neighborhood where over 90% of the students qualify for a free or reduced lunch program. The Gazelle Foundation hopes that with the implementation of this program after school every Monday in addition the solid foundation Communities in Schools has already laid, together we can promote healthy and active lifestyles, create more structure for the children, provide positive role models encouraging aspirations of attending college, and for the kids to have fun and learn to run with joy!

The running club got an early start to the school year, however, when four kids from Allison joined Gilbert’s Running Camp during the week of June 7th. Four students joined the week-long camp that taught running form, drills, correct breathing techniques, and more. Each of the four were provided with running shoes and socks, and at the end of each day received a nutritious snack!

The Foundation is pleased to be able to offer those four students the opportunity to learn at a quality running camp and is excited for the upcoming school year at Allison Elementary! Thank you to all of those who made this program possible through your donations and volunteer efforts.

The Gazelle Foundation is proud to announce a $5000 grant to the Total City Sports Camp for their 2010 program. TCSC is an all-volunteer run camp for students in East Austin and is held at Reagan High School. Last year the six-week camp – free to all high school students – provided instruction in nine different varsity sports including track, cross country, soccer, football and baseball. Former and current NCAA athletes as well as multiple former professional athletes donate their time four nights a week at the camp as they teach students the essentials of their respective discipline and each evening concludes with a meal.

Comprised of students coming from low-income neighborhoods, the Gazelle Foundation found the camp to fit directly in its mission of providing students in the central Texas area opportunities to actively engage in physically fit, healthful lifestyles through awareness, education and participation. This year the Total City Sports Camp – run under the umbrella of local non-profit For the City Network – expects up to 200 students ages 14-18 to attend and take advantage of top-notch instruction and the ability to have somewhere safe to spend their evening as well as eat a healthy dinner.

For more information or to volunteer with the camp, please visit Volunteer Opportunity.

The Gazelle Foundation thanks those who have made this grant possible through their participation in Run for the Water, Spring for the Water, and our various other fundraisers throughout the year.