You may see more kids running around in the streets this week in the Quad Cities. And that’s all because of Quad City Marathon director Joe Moreno and a grant from the Scott County Regional Authority.
Along with the support of local QC businesses, Running Wild and Body Dynamics, the QCM: Shoes for Kids program kicked off Saturday morning giving shoes to kids from the Boys & Girls Club and residents of Arrowhead Youth and Family Services along with free entries to run in the Quad City Marathon on Sunday, September 25th. “It’s a great idea to get money allocated for a worthy cause like this,” said Steve Kilburg, Co-Owner of Running Wild. “It’s a nice thing and we are happy to be a part of it.”
A majority of the shoes went to the Boys and Girls Club and Jenny Garlach, Executive Director at the Boys & Girls Club knows just how impactful this program will be for the kids. “It’s really heartwarming,” said Garlach. “It will help them get a better start to being active, staying active and feeling good.”
Giving back is something that seems to come as a second nature to Joe Moreno as he has been known for years to be one the biggest supporters of our area’s youth. “We’ve always had an open arms policy to help the youth of the community,” said Moreno. “There are a lot of things we can do and will do.”
And as participating in a sport is encouraged by Moreno and all those behind this program, having the right equipment takes it to another level and that is something Moreno understands as a race director and avid runner himself. “That’s our goal to get as many of the youth in the community involved in running because that’s our future,” explained Moreno. “And who knows, one these kids might be a state champion or an Olympian and it all started with a pair of shoes.”
Photo by Phil Cunningham
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