SHE FLIES Taking Flight with First Festival Event at Fields Park on May 15 — Sport Oregon Voices

Sport Oregon Voices: Inaugural SHE FLIES Festival to offer a host of interactive and informational activities to promote girls and women in sport

It was just about a year ago that Sport Oregon formally introduced its new SHE FLIES initiative with a virtual launch event. The goal, at that time, was to start building a community to support the organization’s efforts to foster safe community spaces where all girls and women have equitable opportunities and are greater empowered to use sports to take flight and realize the many benefits that participation provides.

Fast forward to 2022, and Sport Oregon is thrilled to be hosting the initiative’s first in-person event with the inaugural SHE FLIES Festival — open to the public — on Sunday, May 15, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at Fields Park in the Pearl District.

For organizers, finally being able to host an in-person event for the initiative following pandemic-related restrictions is a critical step in growing SHE FLIES. The initiative is a key pillar initiative for the Sport Oregon Foundation, largely based on the organization’s commitment to addressing a number of eye-opening statistics related to girls participation in sports.

“This is the first time the SHE FLIES community really has a chance to come together,” said Maika Janat-Vennemann, senior director and general manager at Sport Oregon. “Everything we have done so far has been virtual and digital, so this is the first time where you can really touch and feel it. Now, you’ll be able to see the power of this group and the community.”

At its core, SHE FLIES is inspired by a fundamental belief that, through sports, people learn to soar as confident individuals, team players and strong leaders. Further, its mission is to connect girls and women across Oregon to sports, and to create inclusive opportunities through its programs, partnerships and networks.

The SHE FLIES initiative includes three primary areas of focus, and also aims to bring together like-minded groups already doing great work in the community. With girls being twice as likely to drop out of sports by age 14 than boys and participation rates ranking statistically lower for girls of color or from low-income households, a key focus area is that of “keeping girls in the game.” Secondly, the initiative aims to empower women coaches, with statistics showing less than 30 percent of youth coaches being women. Thirdly, SHE FLIES strives to inspire a “fitness-for-life” mentality, encouraging a life-long pursuit in sports and of staying healthy through regular exercise.

The May 15 Festival, designed for the whole family, will feature live fitness activities, interactive exhibits, a fun scavenger hunt, coaching clinics, and the awarding of $25,000 in grants to deserving organizations already advancing the SHE FLIES mission. The event, which appropriately takes place during Mental Health Awareness Month this year, invites anyone wanting to learn more about the initiative or to get directly involved the chance to come out and hear from athletes, coaches and parents, meet the grant recipients and hear about the great work they do. Interactive activities will include a variety of workouts and healthy nutrition exhibits, aimed at educating and reinforcing the importance of a fit-for-life lifestyle.

A big part of the SHE FLIES mission is focused on engaging parents, and promoting the many benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle not only for younger girls, but as a lifelong pursuit to enhance anyone’s quality of life, regardless of age.

“It shouldn’t only be the girl that works out,” said Janat-Vennemann. “It’s also the 35, 40 or 50 year old mother who will have a better life is she goes on a 30-minute walk every day.”

Sport Oregon is very passionate about the SHE FLIES initiative, and its steady growth. While there are very specific areas of focus within the initiative, there’s an overriding mission to help the girls of today realize their full potential through all aspects of their lives, by leading a healthy lifestyle through access to sport and exercise.

“The girl of today is the employee and leader of tomorrow,” said Janat-Vennemannn, “so we have to help them now.”

If You’re Going
The inaugural SHE FLIES Public Festival is a free event open to anyone who would like to attend. It will be held at Fields Park in the Pearl District on Sunday, May 15, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

For More Information on SHE FLIES
To learn more about SHE FLIES, its grants program and overall mission to connect girls and women across Oregon to sports, and to create inclusive communities through the organization’s programs, partnerships and networks, go to www.sheflies.org.