Let Me Run Hires Maija Judelson as Fairfield County Regional Director
March 21, 2017 by Let Me Run National
Let Me Run Hires Maija Judelson as Fairfield County Regional Director
Nonprofit Running Program for Boys Builds Infrastructure to Support CT Regional Growth.
Charlotte, NC; March 2017 — Let Me Run is pleased to announce the appointment of Maija Judelson as the organization’s Fairfield County Regional Director. Let Me Run is a nonprofit program for boys with a comprehensive curriculum that uses running to counteract negative societal pressures and stereotypes.
“I hope that we can make Let Me Run available to more boys in our community so they can feel the power and strength of the program and experience personal growth without judgement, competition or power struggle. I feel so fortunate to be a part of the Let Me Run family to help boys reach their full potential,” Maija says, “In today's society, boys are faced with so many stereotypes of how they ‘should’ act, feel or not feel. Let Me Run challenges the ‘boy code’ and allows boys to truly be themselves and feel proud about it! And at the same time, Let Me Run develops a true love of being active and physically healthy.”
Maija brings 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector to her role at Let Me Run. She has served as a volunteer, advisory council member, board member, and nonprofit consultant for organizations including the YMCA and YWCA of Darien, Girls on the Run International, and the Ronald McDonald House New York. She also previously served as the Executive Director of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Canada.
“Maija was instrumental in bringing Let Me Run to Darien in 2014,” Let Me Run Executive Director Paul Martino says, “She has maintained that passion and desire to grow the program in Fairfield County. Now is the right time to bring her on as the Fairfield County Regional Director to continue the steady growth of the program and reach all the boys in the region.”
Since beginning in Charlotte, NC in 2009, Let Me Run has reached over 15,000 4th – 8th grade boys across 25 states and counting. Since the first pilot team in Darien in 2014, the Fairfield County has now had over 30 teams and is showing steady growth.
With a national growth rate of over 60% per year, the need for Let Me Run is obvious. Challenging the negative pressures society places on boys to “man up” and hide their emotions, Let Me Run’s holistic curriculum encourages positive emotional, social, and physical development with lesson topics including emotional expression, anti-bullying, teamwork and healthy eating. Upon completion of the seven-week season, Let Me Run boys compete in a celebratory 5k race and leave the program with a sense of accomplishment, a deeper belief in self, and a greater appreciation for their peers.
