New York – New York Road Runners (NYRR) and New Balance today announced plans to celebrate the first year of their 1 for You 1 for Youth program with a special “Winterfest” shoe distribution this Saturday at City Field. At the distribution, more than 500 Rising New York Road Runners from 13 public schools across New York City’s five boroughs will be surprised with a brand-new pair of New Balance running shoes and will be able to test them out with a series of activities.
Launched in January 2017, 1 for You 1 for Youth is a joint initiative by NYRR and New Balance to provide young runners with new high-quality running shoes. The program’s launch coincided with the opening of the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub, a community running center located in Manhattan near Central Park. For each pair of shoes purchased at the New Balance Run Hub, New Balance will donate a pair of running shoes to NYRR’s youth programs. In turn, New York Road Runners distributes the running shoes to participants in their free youth running programs.*
“Beyond inspiring youth across the country to get moving, 1 for You 1 for Youth provides kids with high-quality New Balance running shoes, and by extension access to the sport of running to improve their health and fitness,” said Michael Capiraso, president and CEO at NYRR. “New York Road Runners and New Balance share a commitment to encourage the next generation of runners, and this program was a natural step for our year-round partnership.”
“One of the many shared values New Balance has with New York Road Runners is giving back to the communities in which we are a part,” said Rob DeMartini, president and CEO at New Balance. “We are extremely proud of the success to date of 1 for You 1 for Youth in supporting youth running.”
Since its inception, more than 4,500 pairs of New Balance Running shoes have been distributed to young runners across the country through 1 for You 1 for Youth. The recipients of the shoes have all been participants in NYRR’s free youth fitness programs including Rising New York Road Runners, NYRR’s flagship youth program, Run for the Future, a scholarship program designed to introduce young women from across New York City to the sport of running, and the Youth Wheelchair Training Program, which introduces young athletes to the sport through the support of a racing wheelchair.
Throughout the first year of the joint program, NYRR and New Balance hosted nearly 20 shoe distribution events to deliver the free running shoes directly to the young runners. On a number of occasions, the organizations were joined by notable members of Team New Balance, including New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner and Olympic medalist and six-time New Balance 5th Avenue Mile champion Jenny Simpson, who also serves as Ambassador & Special Advisor to the Rising New York Road Runners program.
For nearly 20 years, New York Road Runners has offered free youth fitness programs and today annually serves 267,000 youth nationally, including 134,000 across New York City’s five boroughs. Since 2007, NYRR has distributed more than 12,500 pairs of running shoes to participants in its national free youth fitness programs.
NYRR’s youth programs are supported by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the Premier Partner of NYRR and NYRR youth and community programs and the title sponsor of the TCS New York City Marathon; New Balance, the Official Athletic Footwear and Apparel Partner of NYRR; the New Balance Foundation; and the Fairway Community Foundation. For more information on Rising New York Road Runners please visit rising.nyrr.org.
New York Road Runners (NYRR)
In 2018, NYRR is celebrating 60 years of helping and inspiring people through running. Since 1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization. NYRR’s commitment to New York City’s five boroughs features races, community events, youth running initiatives, school programs, and training resources that provide hundreds of thousands of people each year, from children to seniors, with the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to Run for Life. NYRR’s premier event, and the largest marathon in the world, is the TCS New York City Marathon. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features 50,000 runners, from the world’s top professional athletes to a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners. To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org.
*In 2018, for every pair of athletic shoes sold to a customer at the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the NB Run Hub in New York City, New Balance shall donate a pair of new athletic shoes to New York Road Runners, a 501(c)(3) public charity, for the benefit of a New York Road Runners supported youth program, up to a maximum value of $300,000 based on New Balance’s then current cost. For more information about New York Road Runners visit http://www.nyrr.org.
eworldsports.com 