The Storm recently completed running a session of the GoGirlGo! program, working with a group of great girls at Denny International Middle School in Seattle. The GoGirlGo! program is designed to combine sport and activity participation with an educational intervention to help these young girls deal with adolescent issues in healthy ways. Storm Community Relations Manager Navreet Gill, who ran the program, explains what they learned.

Over seven weeks, members from the Seattle Storm front office traveled to Denny weekly to chat with the girls about life issues, help them make healthy decisions (including choosing fruits and veggies over candy!), and expose them to a variety of ways to stay active and healthy. Activities included dancing with the Storm Dance Troupe manager, learning how to play ultimate Frisbee, relaxing for an afternoon yoga session, trying out some basic acrobatics and honing their jump rope skills with a double dutch pro!

Every week, the girls’ enthusiasm grew, and they were always excited when the Storm team walked in. They got to spend time with a number of different women from the Storm office, providing the opportunity to gain mentors and role models through the experience.

Overall, it was a great program, and the Storm would like to thank Denny International Middle school for welcoming us to work with their students!

We hope to run another GoGirlGo! session in the fall, so please contact us at CommunityRelations@StormBasketball.com if you would like to suggest a location to host the program.

At last Thursday’s Girl Scouts of Western Washington Seattle Leadership Luncheon, Storm CEO Karen Bryant and the members of Force 10 Hoops were honored as the Girl Scouts’ Women of Distinction for their influence in the community and role in the Storm’s success on and off the floor. Bryant was joined by Ginny Gilder and Dawn Trudeau as representatives of Force 10 as well as Storm Head Coach Brian Agler to be honored at the annual luncheon.

The connection between the Storm and the Girl Scouts is a natural one. Both organizations are committed to empowering girls by giving them the opportunity to engage with positive, high-achieving role models. Last year, the Storm partnered with the Girls Scouts on the Cookie CEO program, which saw Storm employees use their sales knowledge to help Girl Scouts with their annual cookie sale.

The Storm’s influence extended to the rest of the luncheon, as attendees posed for photos with the championship and each table’s centerpiece featured Storm memorabilia.

Check out photos from the luncheon:

Storm memorabilia decorated each table at the Leadership Luncheon.

Bryant, Gilder and Trudeau pose with Laurel Richie, the senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Girl Scouts of the USA and the event's keynote speaker.

The Storm group poses with standout local Girl Scouts who were part of the program.

Storm employees, including Head Coach Brian Agler and CEO Karen Bryant, took time out from their busy schedules on Thursday morning to volunteer at the Emergency Feeding Program of Seattle and King Country.

Founded in 1977, the EFP works to help individuals and families make ends meet by providing food to the hungry. One of EFP’s core principles is the importance of providing nutritionally balanced meals that fit the various needs of the people they are serving. The EFP prepares 14 different varieties of food bags. Storm staff, with the aid of students from nearby Dearborn Park Elementary School, filled hundreds of these bags and also donated non-perishable food to the EFP.

Visit the Emergency Feeding Program website to find out more about how you can help their mission this holiday season and beyond.

Photos from Thursday’s event:

Storm employees and students from Dearborn Park work to pack bags.

EFP Operations Director Brian Anderson explains the process.

Coach Agler does his part in terms of packing bags with food.

Everyone pitched in to get as much done as possible.

Dearborn Park students pose before heading back to class.

Leading up to Opening Night on Sunday against the Sacramento Monarchs (6:00 p.m., TICKETS), the Storm will be involved in a number of community events this week. A rundown:

Tonight
Lauren Jackson will throw out the first pitch before the Mariners face the Baltimore Orioles tonight at 7:10 p.m. Visit Mariners.com for tickets.

Tuesday
The Storm and Forecasters Pub will present a special Storm Trivia Night at the Redhook Ale Brewery in Woodinville starting at 8 p.m. Storm players Sue Bird, Camille Little and Katie Gearlds will act as co-hosts for the event. No reservations are accepted on Tuesday nights, so guests should arrive early to secure a table. All ages are welcome.

Wednesday
In honor of the Storm’s 10^th Anniversary, Pagliacci is renaming its most popular pizza the ‘Storm Primo’ at its Queen Anne location. Plus, from 5-6 p.m. that day at the Queen Anne location, customers can buy one slice for regular price and get a second slice of equal or lesser value for $1.50 – and meet Storm players Janell Burse, Shannon Johnson, Ashley Robinson!

Thursday
Storm players will be on hand for the reopening of the First A.M.E. Child and Family Center in Seattle, renovated with support from Pitney Bowes. Last year, the Storm won a learning and reading center renovation as part of the Fast Break to Reading Competition Presented by Pitney Bowes. Storm employees contributed their time to help complete the renovation.

This event is not open to the public.

Sunday
The Storm is “Stormin’ for the Cure” to celebrate survivors of breast cancer and to raise funds for breast cancer research. Join Doppler and the Storm Dance Troupe for this year’s Komen Puget Sound Race for the Cure on Sunday, June 7 at Qwest Field. What a great way to get warmed up for Opening Night! Registration is $25. Click here to sign up.

The Storm’s Sheryl Swoopes with Alicia Vasquez and Veronica Sosa, representing Quincy High School.

Inspiring young basketball players to work on their jump shot may help their team win, but the Seattle Storm recognizes that also encouraging kids to exercise and eat a well-balanced diet will lead to long and healthy lives. That’s why the Storm was honored to accept the Heroes of Health Healthy Living Award, recognizing the team’s work to promote youth fitness.

During the 2008 season, the Storm partnered with PCC Natural Markets, Seattle Children’s Hospital, the Washington State Nurses Association and the Washington Health Foundation to host a series of clinics aimed at educating children about the value of leading a healthy lifestyle.
Anne Levinson, chair of the Force 10 Hoops LLC ownership group, and WNBA legend and Storm star Sheryl Swoopes accepted the award during the Washington Health Foundation’s Heroes of Health Gala Nov. 15. Swoopes also announced that she will be participating in the Storm’s new youth-focused offseason Be Fit initiative, launching in early 2009.

During the Gala, Swoopes joined nearly two dozen Washington state athletes from past Olympics competitions who were recognized as healthy role models. She also signed autographs and posed for photographs with Quincy High School students honored for their work with Promotores de Salud, which breaks down cultural and language barriers between Grant County migrant workers and health care service providers.

Since its first WNBA tip-off nearly 10 years ago, the Storm and its players have focused on youth fitness and nutrition, an effort aimed at turning around sobering recent statistics that indicate more than 16 percent of U.S. kids are obese and another 16 percent are overweight.
- Eileen Norton and Teresa Wippel from the Storm staff

Lupe Cortes of Quincy High School was particularly thrilled to meet Swoopes because she was her No. 22 as a basketball player.

Swoopes poses with Cortes and Karina Valadez.

Photos courtesy Seattle School District

Seattle Storm Mascot Doppler showed off jump-roping skills at Seattle’s Dearborn Park Elementary School Sept. 30, all part of an effort to advocate increased physical activity to combat childhood obesity.

The event marked the launch of JumpUp, an initiative created by Seattle nonprofit Treeswing – in partnership with Seattle Children’s – to give young children increased opportunities for fun and fitness at school and home. Dearborn Park kindergarteners received the first of 4,000 jump ropes to be distributed to Seattle Public Schools kindergarteners citywide.

In addition to Doppler and the Mariners Moose, the event included individual and tandem jump-roping by Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson; the Northwest Double Dutch exhibition team; and the students and returning alumni of Dearborn Park’s Seattle Cirque and Acrobat Teams.

“We were delighted to be part of the JumpUp event, which reflects our commitment to helping children become physically active,” said Teresa Wippel, the Storm’s director of communications and community relations. “One of our major community initiatives – supported by every team in the WNBA – is to raise awareness about how being fit improves health, self-image and overall well-being among young people.”