Bright Beginnings 5K, Register now!

Put your feet in motion at the Bright Beginnings 5K on March 7, 2015, for homeless children and families in DC.

Run, walk, join stroller brigade, or be a virtual runner!

All proceeds from the 5K directly support Bright Beginnings’ programming that prepares young children for kindergarten and helps their families get back on their feet.

Get registered now (here)! Prices go up on January 15!

Can’t make it on race day? You can still help by making a donation (here) to Bright Beginnings.

Bright Beginnings 5K Race

Despite the cold temperature and gusty winds, the 18th annual Bright Beginnings 5K Race, held on Saturday, March 2, 2013, had the largest turnout on record. With over 900 registered participants—almost twice as many as last year—the 5K race raised nearly $47,000. That is $10,000 more than last year!  D.C. Councilmember Muriel Bowser even joined in the fun and ran the 5K. Without a doubt, this was a banner year for the Junior League of Washington (JLW) volunteers on the Bright Beginnings Committee who plan the race.

The annual 5K race is the largest single fundraiser for Bright Beginnings, Inc., a nonprofit child and family development center that supports homeless children of preschool age and their families. Bright Beginnings was founded by the JLW in 1991 as an independent 501(c)(3) developmental day center. In addition to volunteering with Bright Beginnings throughout the year and hosting special events focusing on literacy, JLW committee members spend their time planning, preparing and fundraising for the 5K race. Bright Beginnings committee members Laura Shull and Liz Cassady individually raised $1,435 and $900 respectively.

Although the 5K race has typically taken place in May, it was moved to March this year to take advantage of a new, larger 5K course and less competition with sporting and other events that traditionally take place in May. The earlier race date meant that JLW committee members had less time to promote the 5K race, but chair Natalie Hardy and co-chairs Sasha Strohm and Starling Marshall, worked hard to ensure the event’s success. The 5K race added a number of new features this year, including a virtual 5K option, a stroller brigade, and the ability for participants to raise funds through CrowdRise, an online fundraising platform. Nancy Register, a JLW member since 1993 and current President of the Bright Beginnings’ Board of Directors, spoke at the start of the 5K race on Bright Beginnings’ impact on the local DC community.

The Washington Post sponsored the Start/Finish line and named Bright Beginnings a PostPoints nonprofit partner, enabling PostPoints members to earn points for participating in the 5K race. Other sponsors included Danya International, Inc.; Dominion; Deloitte; Duff and Phelps; Luminpoint; the United States Chamber of Commerce; TDI; New Editions Consulting Inc.; XML Financial Group; the National Academies of Sciences; SilverStar Consulting, and a number of individual sponsors.

The Bright Beginnings Committee is already looking ahead to the 2013-2014 year, and hopes to break the 1,000 participant mark next spring. Please share your favorite story from the Bright Beginnings 5K race with us in the comments.

Annual Bright Beginnings Holiday Party

Each year, the Bright Beginnings Committee of Junior League of Washington organizes a holiday party for the children of Bright Beginnings. Bright Beginnings is a child and family development center that serves about 186 children annually whose families are living in crisis shelters or transitional housing. Festivities during the holiday party include entertainment, holiday activities (decorating ornaments and holiday cards) and stuffed stockings for the kids, refreshments for the parents, a festive door decorating contest and cookie packages for the teachers (with prizes!) and fun for all.

For several years, Santa, Mrs. Claus and the Banjo Man have donated their time and services to brighten the day of the children. As an added bonus, Santa also provides small gifts for the children and each child receives a framed picture of him or her sitting in Santa's lap! This year, the JLW volunteers added Jake the Magician to the lineup, and he provided an entertaining finale to the morning activities. Windows Catering was a generous repeat supporter of the holiday party, providing delicious refreshments for the parents to enjoy.

Under the direction of Emily Harris and Andrea Contres, who lead the committee in planning the Holiday Party, the JLW members of the Bright Beginnings committee baked cookies, created festive decorations and staffed the holiday party. We appreciate all of their time and efforts and could not have executed this event without their organization and commitment.

If you're interested in supporting Bright Beginnings, we'd love to see you at the upcoming BB 5K run on March 2, 2013. Click here to register.

JLW Facts: June 3, 2012

JLW Facts: June 2, 2012

JLW Facts: May 31, 2012

Another Successful Bright Beginnings 5K Race

The Junior League of Washington (JLW) extends a big thank you to all of the runners, walkers, and fans who participated in the 2012 Bright Beginnings, Inc. annual 5K race on Saturday, May 12th!

Each year, this 5K race, which is sponsored by the JLW, raises critical funds to help support the Bright Beginnings child and family development center. Bright Beginnings helps prepare homeless children in our community for kindergarten and helps the children's parents get back on their feet and become self-sufficient. Of the many important duties Bright Beginnings assumes, the center provides free full-day developmental care for preschoolers and young children whose families reside in shelters and transitional housing.

Bright Beginnings' services help ensure that underprivileged children in the DC-metro area have better footing to succeed on their first day of school. The center's great work helps increase literacy, which is the JLW's primary mission.

This year's race was held at Hains Point and there were over 350 finishers. The race is a huge success year after year thanks in no small part to the many JLW members who donate their time, money, and energy to the event.

The JLW is grateful to work with such great community partners as Bright Beginnings and we look forward to next year's race!

AshLee Strong
Member of the Public Relations Committee

JLW Facts: May 25, 2012

JLW Facts: May 24, 2012

Join us for the Annual Bright Beginnings 5K Race!

Bright Beginnings Inc. was established in 1991 by the Junior League of Washington, which identified a critical need for quality childcare among homeless families in Washington, DC. Since then, Bright Beginnings has met the needs of nearly 1,700 homeless children by providing families with developmental childcare and on-site therapeutic and family support services.

Today, the Junior League of Washington supports the center in a variety of ways. During the school year, members of the JLW Bright Beginnings Committee volunteer on selected Monday evenings and assist teachers in the classrooms by reading and playing with children while their parent’s attend an adult education seminar designed to prepare parents for employment or learn skills related to raising their children.

JLW volunteers also plan Literacy Nights in the fall and spring and work with Books for Bright Futures to select a book and plan activities around the book’s theme. Together, the volunteers and children read the stories, sing songs, and complete various arts and crafts projects. Each child goes home with their very own copy of the book, as well as a take-home bag filled with goodies to keep them excited about reading. The JLW volunteers also throw an Annual Holiday Party for the children where they meet Santa, attend a magic show, listen to a banjo player, and more! It is truly a highlight for all involved.

One of the biggest events that the JLW Bright Beginnings Committee plans each year is the Annual Bright Beginnings 5K Run/Walk in the spring. This year the event will take place on Saturday, May 12, 2012 at 8:00 a.m. at Hains Point in Washington, DC. The committee has been working tirelessly on the planning for the race and anticipates it to be the most successful yet! To help us reach our fundraising goal, the committee is asking JLW members to join us for the race or to make a personal donation online by visiting www.BrightBeginningsInc.org or http://www.active.com/running/washington-dc/bright-beginnings-5k-race-2012. Participating in the race will also earn JLW members a Membership Credit. The run is for friends and family of all ages so please bring help us spread the word!

Inspiration to Action

On November 7, I had the opportunity to attend Inspiration to Action 2011, the annual unveiling of the Catalogue for Philanthropy - Greater Washington’s paper catalogue. Celebrating its ninth year, eighty-seven local non-profits are featured in the print version of the 2011-2012 catalogue, with an additional 250 plus non-profits featured on the Catalogue’s website (http://www.catalogueforphilanthropy-dc.org/cfpdc/index.php). I was invited to represent the Junior League of Washington, as three of our community partners - Bright Beginnings, Building Futures, and Higher Achievement - are featured in this year’s Catalogue.

The Catalogue for Philanthropy seeks out the best of the best local nonprofits with an operating budget under $3 million. Organizations featured in the Catalogue must first apply, and then are put through a peer review process and must also demonstrate financial sustainability. The organizations ultimately selected to appear in the Catalogue represent a wide range of work in the greater Washington nonprofit community, from local charter schools to homeless shelters, from theater companies to international organizations. Members of the community can then use the Catalogue to make a donation to a charitable organization, knowing that their donation will have a high impact on a worthy organization.

Other JLW community partners which are featured in the online Catalogue include Calvary Women's Services, Doorways for Women and Families, Horton’s Kids, and IONA Senior Services. I am proud of the commitment the JLW has made to these seven community partners featured in the Catalogue through our trained volunteers, providing hands-on direct services and making an impact in the community.

If you’re looking to give your money to a local organization that maximizes their resources, there’s no need to look any further than the organizations featured in the Catalogue for Philanthropy.