Eddystone Running Club Competes at Ridley 5k

Who was the large, enthusiastic group of runners at Ridley Educational Foundation’s Halloween 5K Run on October 29, 2022? It was Youth Development United’s Eddystone Run/Walk Club, led by educators Crystal Brooks and Eva Signor.

The Eddystone group had the highest participation rate among seven elementary schools, and earned a trophy as a result.

In collaboration with YDU, Boeing generously funded the bus that brought the runners and their families from Eddystone Elementary to the Ridley YMCA, where the race started, and then picked them up the finish line at Ridley High School and returned them home again. Boeing is committed to helping remove transportation challenges that make it hard for some children to have inspiring extra-curricular experiences, and YDU is very grateful for their support.

“For most students, this was their first experience training for a specific competition, riding a bus together as a team, participating in an organized sporting event and receiving a trophy for their accomplishments. It was not an easy race for all, but the kids rallied behind each other. It was amazing to see the pride on their faces as they completed the 5k as a team,” reported Ms. Signor.

Ms. Brooks was in the final group to cross the finish line, all holding hands while running, and then celebrating together, just like the end of an inspirational movie.

“We had so many parents asking to run with the kids next year,” Ms. Signor added, noting that the enthusiastic parent engagement can make all the difference in the children’s experience.

The 2022 Eddystone Run/Walk Club consists of 45 3rd, 4th and 5th graders, and meets every Friday morning of an eight week fall season. There are two more weeks left in 2022, and the group hopes to pick up where they left off in the spring or fall of 2023.

Youth Development United relaunched the club in the fall of 2022. It was was originally founded in the spring of 2014 and has been on hiatus due to lack of funding.