Can You Sprint in Stilettos?

Dress for Success Tulsa hosts the 4th annual Stiletto Sprint and 5K Power Walk/Run on Saturday, May 10.

Dress for Success Tulsa is hosting one of its major fundraising events this month. The Stiletto Sprint and 5K Power Walk/Run is a fun and healthy way to raise awareness and support with good friends. Overlooking the river, the event will take place at Blue Rose Café on Riverside Drive on the morning of Saturday, May 10. “It’s a great area,” says Ronda Adkisson, executive director, of the race’s location.

“There’s camaraderie amongst the volunteers and participants,” says Mollie Collins, president. “It’s a lot of fun – what could be better than a run along the river on a Saturday morning?”
The event features the Stiletto Sprint, in which runners wear high-heeled shoes and race for 150 meters. Women and men compete in separate heats, with prizes awarded for first and second place. This fun run is not to be taken lightly, however. Runners’ shoes must have a heel of at least two inches to qualify for the award and bragging rights. Additionally, those clad in a dress, skirt or tie will be rewarded with preferred placement at the front of the starting line. Do you have what it takes to balance work and exercise in two-inch heels?

The 5K Power Walk/Run starts and finishes at Blue Rose Café. The race promotes an active lifestyle and healthy living for the thousands of women Dress for Success Tulsa has served since 2001.

“We have a great group involved in the event each year; we are thankful for our patrons and supporters,” says Collins. In addition to the races, a deejay will pump music over Riverside Drive, and sponsors Pepsi and QuikTrip will provide refreshments for participants.  
Dress for Success started in 1999 in New York. The nonprofit organization caught on, and has grown to 132 affiliates in nine countries. With education controversies making local and national headlines, many communities find themselves grasping for solutions to the complex problems fueled by a rapidly-changing economy and an education system struggling to keep up. Since its opening, Dress for Success Tulsa has made an impact for disadvantaged women transitioning to a life of self-sufficiency.

“We serve about 1,200 women in Tulsa annually, which includes our suiting and career development programs,” says Adkisson. Though the organization is best-known for providing business wardrobes, its services extend far beyond wardrobe. “All of our services are free,” says Adkisson. “We assess how we can help women fill in some of the gaps in their skill sets.”
Dress for Success Tulsa provides support and training for a variety of vital skills for job seekers, and presents a six-week program for those in need. Educational support and training are offered for free, and includes workshops on employment skills as well as resume writing and mock interviews. The organization works with many other education and support programs, and often connects women with helpful resources for further education and training. “The goal is to have them employed by the end of the six-week program.” At the end of each program, the class has a small graduation ceremony to mark their accomplishments. The organization relies solely on local donations and fundraising activities to function, and community support has always been strong in Tulsa.

One of their biggest annual fundraisers, Dress for Success Tulsa hosts the Stiletto Sprint and 5K Power Walk/Run on Saturday, May 10, at Blue Rose Café at 1924 Riverside Dr. in Tulsa. Registration begins at 7 a.m. The Stiletto Sprint begins at 8 a.m. After the women’s and men’s heats, the 5K Power Walk/Run starts at 9 a.m. Early online registration fees are $15 for the Stiletto Sprint and $25 for the 5K Power Walk/Run. Registration for children 12 and under is $10. Adults may register for both races for $30. On race day, the registration fees increase $5.

For more information, contact

Dress for Success Tulsa

(918) 599-8892

www.dressforsuccess.org/tulsa
www.dfstulsapowerwalk.com