Genesis Health Clubs Holds First Kicks for Kids Run/Walk To Support Wichita-Area Youth
First-ever Kicks for Kids walk/run fundraiser aims to provide 2,000 pairs of athletic shoes to Wichita-area youth
WICHITA, KS (SEPTEMBER 16, 2024) – GFFT, the Genesis Foundation for Fitness & Tennis, will hold its first Kicks for Kids 2-mile walk/run fundraiser on September 21, 2024. All registration fees will go toward providing new athletic shoes for lower income or disadvantaged youth in the Wichita area. Leading into winter sports and colder weather, new shoes are more important now than almost any other time of year.
“Twenty-two percent of Wichita’s young people live below the poverty level,” explained DeAnn White, Executive Director, Genesis Foundation for Fitness & Tennis. “Our belief is that physical activity should not be a privilege, but rather a necessity for everyone to improve the quality of life and should begin at an early age. Whether school sports, a pick-up game of neighborhood basketball, or even walking the dog, any sport or activity begins with a good pair of shoes.”
In 2023, GFFT donated 1,341 pairs of new shoes to area youth. The 2024 goal is 2,000 pairs of shoes.
For a $39 registration fee (about the cost of a pair of shoes), participants receive a t-shirt, a ticket for Genesis Health Clubs’ 30th Annual Burgers & Beer taking place the same day, and the satisfaction of playing an active role in helping local youth.
Both the Walk/Run and Burgers & Beer begin at 4pm at the Genesis Sports Complex in Goddard (W. Kellogg & 199th). All proceeds from the event will also support GFFT.
“Burgers and Beer has been a member appreciation tradition since Rodney Steven II opened his first club on West 13th in Wichita,” commented Paul Hansen, Vice President of Marketing. “Over the years, it has grown to attract hundreds of Wichitans to celebrate food, fun, friends, fitness, and family.”
For a suggested donation of $20 per person, people can enjoy the family-friendly event which will offer burgers and beer, refreshments, adult and kid games, bounce house, an on-site DJ, and a spectacular fireworks show.