April 20 through April 26, 2025 is National Volunteer Week! Across the country, organizations and nonprofits like Girls on the Run Minnesota spend this week celebrating and thanking the volunteers who contribute to their ongoing success and livelihood.
Girls on the Run Minnesota is a people-powered organization and relies on over 1,700 volunteers every year. From coaching to making sure the 5K runs smoothly to board service, there are many ways the community shows up for girls. Another one of those ways is through corporate volunteer groups.
Xcel Energy, an electric utility and natural gas company with locations across the midwest, marked National Volunteer Week by providing its employees with a volunteer opportunity with Girls on the Run (GOTR). The volunteer group represented Xcel Energy’s internal employee group called Women’s Interest Network, a group that partners with organizations related to their mission of supporting girls and women. On April 22, about 20 volunteers gathered in the Twin Cities Motion Center to assist with GOTR’s Project Gear Up assembly.
Project Gear Up is one of several initiatives GOTR undertakes to ensure that the program is financially accessible for all participants. To help each participant feel comfortable and confident in themselves during practice, GOTR supplies running shoes, pants, and sports hijabs to any participant who needs them to fully participate in the program.
After team rosters are finalized in the third week of the season, gear distribution begins. GOTR staff organized the shoes, pants, and hijabs by size across long tables to ensure smooth assembly and minimize packing errors. Following a brief overview of the GOTR mission from GOTR Development Director Kristi Pogatchnik and an explanation of the process by Operations Manager Johnna Bratt and Program Coordinator Liz Gallardo, the volunteers began arranging bags. Over the course of about two hours, they packed over 900 bags of shoes, pants, and hijabs and loaded each kit into a larger bag to be distributed to over 125 schools across the state.
Xcel Energy employee Sarah Swanson commended Project Gear Up’s commitment to ensuring that every participant can feel comfortable and confident while participating in the program.
“I think that women and young girls knowing what their body is capable of and reducing the barriers to doing that is just phenomenal,” she said.
Fellow Xcel Energy employee and volunteer Alexa Guttormson added that she appreciates having the opportunity to donate her time and energy to a program dedicated to helping young girls succeed.
“It feels great when I can see somebody achieve something that they’ve been working so hard to do,” she said. “It makes me feel good because I’m there to help them and hopefully help guide them along the way… and encourage them as much as I can.”
This Thursday, April 24, volunteers from US Bank will finish the Project Gear Up process by delivering the completed bags to their respective schools, where the kits will be given to the participants who need them.
Girls on the Run Minnesota is deeply grateful for the time and energy the community gives to support girls. If you’re interested in learning about the ways you can contribute to the mission of Girls on the Run by donating your time and energy, visit our website.