The Ground They Run On
There is a striking parallel between watching a young girl find her footing in the world and watching a community evolve. Both require a strong foundation, room to breathe, and the freedom to explore what they are capable of.
When I committed to running the New York City Marathon with Girls on the Run, I knew I wanted my miles to serve a purpose far greater than a finish line. If you’ve ever seen a Girls on the Run program in action, you know it is about so much more than lacing-up sneakers and running laps. It is a transformative space where young girls learn resilience, build unshakeable confidence, and discover that their potential is completely limitless.
These girls are quite literally our future. They are the future leaders, creators, business owners, and caretakers of our communities.
As I logged my own training miles across Rockland, Orange, and Bergen counties -the places I’ve called home for over 30 years – a vital question kept hitting me:
What will the home we pass down to these girls actually look like?
We can give a young girl all the tools in the world to find her strength, to run fast, and to chase big dreams. But she also needs a world that gives her the space to do it. She needs the winding trails, the protected greenways, and the open parks to clear her head, test her limits, and connect with the world around her.
Preserving a Sense of Place
Having called this tri-county region home for three decades, I’ve watched our towns grow and evolve. I grew up in Rockland, just 5 minutes from where my dad grew up and where my Oma lived out her life in Bergen, and then I made the move up to Orange County in 2021.
As a real estate agent, I love seeing our communities welcome new families and vibrant energy. But I also know that the true heartbeat of a thriving town lies in its balance—ensuring that alongside our homes, we intentionally nurture and protect our natural recreation areas.
That is the core philosophy behind The Valley Project.
I want to ensure that the natural beauty kids grow up exploring today still bears a beautiful resemblance to the places they will look back on decades from now. When a kid grows up running on a local trail or playing in a neighborhood park, that landscape becomes woven into the fabric of her childhood memories. Protecting these open spaces means protecting the unique character and identity that makes our region feel like home.
By creating a double-impact initiative, every single dollar raised for my Girls on the Run fundraiser will be matched by me, dollar-for-dollar, and poured directly into local open space, trail, and park projects across our three counties.
We are investing in the kids who will shape our future, while simultaneously reinforcing the physical recreation spaces beneath their feet.
For the Girls, For Our Communities
The Valley Project belongs to everyone who looks out at our valley’s ridges, our local parks, and our vibrant towns and recognizes how lucky we are to have them in our backyards.
It belongs to the parents who want their kids to grow up playing outside, the cyclists and hikers who know every bend in the local trails, and the neighbors who care deeply about keeping our valley green, healthy, and active.