250 Detroit students receive new running shoes
(CBS DETROIT) - Two hundred and fifty students will now be able to jump higher, run further, and faster thanks to a pilot program.
Students at five Detroit Public Schools Community District schools got brand new running shoes for the upcoming Detroit Free Press marathon.
Victoria Davis is one of the students from Mackenzie Elementary-Middle School who was selected to receive brand-new, custom-designed running shoes.
"It's very exciting. Everybody loves new shoes don't get me wrong," Davis said.
The goal of the program is to promote a healthy lifestyle.
"We see that students are not getting as much physical activity as needed. So, the importance of physical activity, endurance, really working out, is just major especially for our inner-city youth here," Monique Dooley, Principal of Mackenzie Elementary-Middle School, said.
Since the beginning of the new school year, students have been working on logging about 25 miles at home and during gym class.
"I've been running a lot trying to get my body prepared for the run," Davis said.
DPSCD is the only school district taking part in this year's marathon.
"This year we had 250 and next year I hope to double that," Kerrie Mitchell, President & CEO of DPSCD, said.
This program was made possible by a partnership between the DPSCD Foundation, Priority Health and the Detroit Free Press.
On Oct.19, the students will complete their final mile along the Detroit Riverfront during the marathon.