Wake Forest Student Athletes Creating a Vibrant New Initiative for the Community
11/6/2024 10:10:00 AM | Cross Country
Run Your City, Winston-Salem provides children with the chance to run in a supportive and inclusive environment.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Looking for a new way to bring the local running community together,
Wake Forest Track & Field and Cross Country student-athletes Andrew Kivett and Albane Fery launched a six-week non-profit organization called Run your City, Winston-Salem. The program invites kids in grades K-8 to run at Happy Hill Park once a week from 3-4 p.m.
Where the Roots of Run your City, Winston-Salem Began
Six years ago, Run your City, Winston-Salem was founded at the University of Virginia. The project has grown significantly, spreading across college campuses in the U.S. and internationally.
"After learning more about Run Your City's focus on fostering leadership, social skills, and a competitive spirit in children, I knew I wanted to be a part of it," Kivett said. "We put together a leadership team, each taking on a specific role, and we all agreed this would be a fantastic way to give back to the Winston-Salem community. It's been incredibly rewarding to watch our first season and how much we've grown and impacted the families here."
From Sept. 14th through Oct. 19th, teammates and leadership members Emma Douglass, Laura Giudice, Leigh Walters, Elizabeth Whaley, and Aidan Ross teamed up with Kivett and Fery on a mission to ensure that all children, regardless of their socioeconomic background, has the opportunity to participate in sports.
Through gofundme, Wake Forest student athletes and community members have raised $1,095 with a projected $2,000. Along with gofundme, Run your City, Winston-Salem has been through an instagram account called run_winstonsalem, and a weekly newsletter recapping each week along with photographs.
Experiences of Kivett and Fery
Each session started with a warm up lap, stretches, and a few drills, also included small group discussions to talk about the value of the week. Every other week was a practice week with a group game included. In between those practices the leadership team put on a race week, highlighted by 100 and 200m dashes, 100m mini-hurdles, long jump, ball throw, and obstacle courses. The session ends with a cool down lap, stretches, and a snack.
"Seeing the joy on the kids' faces, even during simple activities, has been so rewarding and has inspired me to do even more to help this organization grow," Kivett said.
Over the course of the past six weeks, Run your City, Winston-Salem has created an environment for kids to cultivate lasting skills, a fundamental aspect of Run your City's mission.
"Our favorite part has been seeing the kids grow in confidence and form new friendships," Fery said. "Each week, they show up ready to learn, set goals, and encourage each other, which has been really inspiring for us.It's especially rewarding to see kids who initially seemed shy or hesitant gradually open up, get involved, and connect with others. The kids' enthusiasm for each activity, especially around values like resilience and teamwork, has made our work incredibly fulfilling. Seeing them come together as a community each week reminds us why we started this."
What is Next?
In Spring of 2025, Run your City will return to Winston-Salem. "This upcoming 6-week season will build on everything we've accomplished so far, with hopes to reach even more kids in the community," Fery said. "We plan to expand the group, introduce new activities and partner with even more local organizations. This season we partnered with Bagel Station, a local bagel shop, who helped us provide post-run treats for the kids. Moving forward, we hope to make each season bigger and better, allowing Run Winston Salem to be a place where kids can return each season to stay active, build friendships, and develop a positive outlook on fitness."
Wake Forest Track & Field and Cross Country student-athletes Andrew Kivett and Albane Fery launched a six-week non-profit organization called Run your City, Winston-Salem. The program invites kids in grades K-8 to run at Happy Hill Park once a week from 3-4 p.m.
Where the Roots of Run your City, Winston-Salem Began
Six years ago, Run your City, Winston-Salem was founded at the University of Virginia. The project has grown significantly, spreading across college campuses in the U.S. and internationally.
"After learning more about Run Your City's focus on fostering leadership, social skills, and a competitive spirit in children, I knew I wanted to be a part of it," Kivett said. "We put together a leadership team, each taking on a specific role, and we all agreed this would be a fantastic way to give back to the Winston-Salem community. It's been incredibly rewarding to watch our first season and how much we've grown and impacted the families here."
From Sept. 14th through Oct. 19th, teammates and leadership members Emma Douglass, Laura Giudice, Leigh Walters, Elizabeth Whaley, and Aidan Ross teamed up with Kivett and Fery on a mission to ensure that all children, regardless of their socioeconomic background, has the opportunity to participate in sports.
Through gofundme, Wake Forest student athletes and community members have raised $1,095 with a projected $2,000. Along with gofundme, Run your City, Winston-Salem has been through an instagram account called run_winstonsalem, and a weekly newsletter recapping each week along with photographs.
Experiences of Kivett and Fery
Each session started with a warm up lap, stretches, and a few drills, also included small group discussions to talk about the value of the week. Every other week was a practice week with a group game included. In between those practices the leadership team put on a race week, highlighted by 100 and 200m dashes, 100m mini-hurdles, long jump, ball throw, and obstacle courses. The session ends with a cool down lap, stretches, and a snack.
"Seeing the joy on the kids' faces, even during simple activities, has been so rewarding and has inspired me to do even more to help this organization grow," Kivett said.
Over the course of the past six weeks, Run your City, Winston-Salem has created an environment for kids to cultivate lasting skills, a fundamental aspect of Run your City's mission.
"Our favorite part has been seeing the kids grow in confidence and form new friendships," Fery said. "Each week, they show up ready to learn, set goals, and encourage each other, which has been really inspiring for us.It's especially rewarding to see kids who initially seemed shy or hesitant gradually open up, get involved, and connect with others. The kids' enthusiasm for each activity, especially around values like resilience and teamwork, has made our work incredibly fulfilling. Seeing them come together as a community each week reminds us why we started this."
What is Next?
In Spring of 2025, Run your City will return to Winston-Salem. "This upcoming 6-week season will build on everything we've accomplished so far, with hopes to reach even more kids in the community," Fery said. "We plan to expand the group, introduce new activities and partner with even more local organizations. This season we partnered with Bagel Station, a local bagel shop, who helped us provide post-run treats for the kids. Moving forward, we hope to make each season bigger and better, allowing Run Winston Salem to be a place where kids can return each season to stay active, build friendships, and develop a positive outlook on fitness."
Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
Football Media Availability (9/30/25)
Tuesday, September 30
Wake Forest Football Coach Jake Dickert Weekly Press Conference
Tuesday, September 30
Coach Jake Dickert Press Conference (Sept. 29, 2025)
Monday, September 29
Sept. 27, 2025: Coach Jake Dickert Postgame Press Conference Following Game vs. Georgia Tech
Sunday, September 28