Women’s Run Donates $2,300 to Lady Jackets (10/20/05)

BILLINGS, MT – The Montana Women’s Run donated $2,300 to the Montana State-Billings women’s cross-country team this week.  The Women’s Run donated a total of $40,700 to six different women’s health and fitness programs in the Billings community from funds raised this year.

The MSU Billings women’s cross-country program is the only women’s collegiate running program in the area.  According to the official Women’s Run press release, “These women serve as role models to all young people in our community.  Academically, the women’s team has perennially been named to the NCAA All-Academic team and has had the highest grade point average in the country.”

The Lady Yellowjackets compete in NCAA Division II and are a member of the Heartland Conference.  The $2,300 from the Montana Women’s Run goes to the program’s scholarship program.

In addition to the Montana State-Billings women’s cross-country program, the Montana Women’s Run donated $12,500 to the Deaconess Billings Clinic’s Women’s Wellness Program, $21,000 to the YWCA, $2,500 to the Yellowstone Rim Runners, $2,300 to the Rocky Mountain College Physical Education Scholarship, and $100 to RSVP.  Since it began, the Women’s run has donated a total of $215,000 to local organizations that promote women’s health and fitness.

Montana Women’s Run began in 1982 with 200 participants and will celebrate its 25^th Anniversary in May 2006.  Today, the race is recognized as the largest event for women in the state of Montana, and one of the largest all-women’s races in the country.