In 2010 Rotarians Gord Gamble, Don Penwell, Mark McGrath and Jim Kirby were instrumental in establishing and supporting KidsFest (now called Start2Finish) at Harbour View Elementary School in Dartmouth.
A kickoff event was held on Tuesday April 5 and featured two-time Grey Cup winner Brian Warren and Olympic marathoner Silvia Ruegger who talk about fanning the flames of hope. The club was spearheaded by Ruegger, who works with Start2Finish, Warren’s charity.
Also on hand for the event was Dartmouth Rotary Club’s president, Mike Monaghan, who presented a cheque for $2500 to Warren and Ruegger.
President Mike Presents a Cheque to Brian Warren
Start2Finish Running and Reading Club is an innovative program that happens one afternoon per week throughout the school year and uses running, reading and mentorship to help inner-city children improve their physical health and develop a love of reading as well as support their emotional well being. Each session lasts two hours and begins with 45 minutes of physical activity, followed by a 20-minute character building component and snack time. The remaining time is devoted to helping the children improve their literacy skills. Through the use of a journal, students track their physical fitness and reading progress.
The Kids in the Program