When Lillian Strawn first heard about Girls on the Run, she was a college student who had just joined Gamma Phi Beta at Lander University. At the time, she knew almost nothing about the organization, only that it was tied to her sorority’s philanthropic mission of Building Strong Girls.
But learning more about GOTR quickly turned into something bigger: a mission to bring the program to girls in her own community. Thanks to Lillian’s initiative, multiple Girls on the Run sites have launched in the Greenwood, South Carolina area, serving hundreds of girls through Girls on the Run Upstate South Carolina.
As we celebrate Women’s History Month and 30 Years of Building Confidence, Connection, and Community at Girls on the Run International, Lillian’s story is a reminder that while starting something new can feel intimidating, taking that first step can be one of the most rewarding ways to make a difference in a community.
Challenge Accepted
Lillian’s GOTR journey started while she was president of her Gamma Phi Beta chapter. After a year of virtual college life during the COVID-19 pandemic, she wanted to help her sorority reconnect with its philanthropy in a meaningful way.
“One of the things that bothered me,” she recalls, “was that we had 80 members donating to an organization they didn’t really know anything about.”
At the time, the closest Girls on the Run team was about 40 minutes away. Lillian and her fellow members could attend the end-of-season 5K Events, but they didn’t have the chance to see practices or interact with the girls regularly.
Lillian decided to change that.
Her first year focused on learning more about the program and rebuilding connections with Girls on the Run. By her second year as chapter president, she had a bigger idea.
“I remember driving home from a 5K and saying, ‘I think we’re going to start a team here,’” she said. “My friends said, ‘Good luck with that.’ And I said, ‘Challenge accepted.’”
Lillian cheers on GOTR girls at the end-of-season 5K Celebration.
At the Starting Line
At first, Lillian assumed she would need to launch an entirely new council. But staff at Girls on the Run Upstate South Carolina encouraged her to start small.
“They said, ‘Why don’t you start a team and see how it goes?’” she said. “That made it feel a lot more manageable.”
With support from her local council, Lillian began reaching out to schools in her area. Her twin sister, a teacher in the district, helped connect her with local school leaders and principals who might be open to starting a team.
Throughout the summer, Lillian called and emailed schools, searching for one willing to try something new.
Eventually, Woodfields Elementary said yes.
“They basically asked, ‘Is it a good cause?’ And I said, ‘I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t.’ That was enough for them.”
That fall, the school hosted its first Girls on the Run team, with about 15 girls eager to participate.
Building Community
What started as one team quickly grew.
Teachers volunteered to coach. Sorority sisters joined practices. Parents came to cheer the girls on. By the end of the first season, there were so many volunteers that the team nearly had a one-to-one ratio of coaches to participants.
Encouraged by the success, Lillian helped launch additional sites at nearby schools. Over the next several seasons, she coached multiple teams and supported sites across the area.
In total, four schools signed on to host teams, with three currently running programs across multiple seasons. Together, those teams have served more than 500 girls in the Greenwood area.
“The community really stepped up,” Lillian said. “Teachers, parents, volunteers — once people saw what Girls on the Run was about, they wanted to be part of it.”
Lillian captures the spirit of one of her favorite Energy Awards — Go Bananas!
Making it Simple
Looking back, Lillian says one of the biggest misconceptions about starting a site is that it will feel like a full-time job.
“I honestly thought it was going to be overwhelming,” she said. “But it wasn’t, because the council provided so much support.”
From coach training to the ready-to-use curriculum, Girls on the Run made sure she had everything she needed.
“The lessons are already written. The resources are already there,” she explained. “It literally tells you what to say and what to do. There’s no guessing.”
Taking the Leap
When people ask her whether they should start a team in their own community, Lillian’s advice is simple: “Don’t overthink it. You have way more support than you realize.”
Between the council’s resources, the curriculum, and the network of coaches, no one has to figure things out alone.
Once the program is underway, the community often steps in to help.
“You’ll find teachers who want to coach, parents who want to volunteer, and girls who are excited to participate,” Lillian says.
For her, what started as a question — Why don’t we have Girls on the Run here? — has turned into something much bigger, with hundreds of girls experiencing the confidence and joy that comes with crossing the finish line at a GOTR 5K Celebration.
And it all began with one person deciding to give it a try.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day and 30 years of impact, we’re honoring community and site champions like Lillian and the communities working to build confidence and connection for girls everywhere.
Sign up for our newsletter to get 30th anniversary updates, stories, and ways to be a part of the year-long celebration.
