NEWS RELEASE Contact:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Kristin Shaw, Director of Communications
March 26, 2018 kristin@marathonkids.org
512-477-1259
DESMA DEITZ JOINS MARATHON KIDS AS CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER
AUSTIN, Texas – Marathon Kids, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health and happiness of children by engaging them in a positive, goal-driven running and walking program, announced today the addition of Desma Deitz as Chief Program Officer.
As Chief Program Officer at Marathon Kids, Deitz oversees Programs and Operations to help the organization reach more kids than ever with programming that gets kids moving.
Formerly the Managing Director at UNICEF Ventures, where she developed and scaled new programs and products to accelerate social innovation and drive step change growth for UNICEF USA, Deitz helped build and led the team that launched UNICEF Kid Power, the world’s first Wearable-for-Good® and one of TIME Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2016, from prototype, to classroom pilot, to multi-million dollar cause platform and award-winning retail product with more than 400,000 participants and supporters nationwide.
“With Desma in this role, we are poised to increase the number of kids we can serve in more communities; her years with UNICEF have prepared her well to take on this new challenge,” said CEO Cami Hawkins. “She’s a perfect fit for us and we’re very happy to have her on the Marathon Kids team.”
Deitz holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) in Nonprofit Management from the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Pennsylvania State University.
ABOUT MARATHON KIDS
Marathon Kids helps kids unlock their potential and adults discover their inner coach by joining, starting or supporting a Marathon Kids running club in their home, school, out-of-school time organization or camp.
Kids in the program work at their own pace to run, or walk, the equivalent mileage of up to four marathons, and Marathon Kids provides the training, rewards, tools and resources to keep them moving. Marathon Kids works for any kid, at any fitness level. Kids set their goals and track their progress on a journey to complete four marathons, or 104.8 miles, over the course of the running club season. They run (or walk) a lap at a time, at a day at a time, and before they know it they’ve gone farther than they ever dreamed. Kids enrolled in the program have a network of dedicated adults showing them how it’s done, and most importantly, a motivated and inspiring coach supporting them every step of the way.
Corporate partners and supporters include Nike, HEB, the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, Active Schools, USATF Foundation, American Diabetes Association, Target, Tejas Trails, Athletes for Hope, LA Dodgers Foundation, and St. David’s Foundation.
More information is available at marathonkids.org.
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