St. Joseph's Academy senior Michelle Daigle Gatorade Louisiana Cross Country Player of the Year chose Girls on the Run South Louisiana to receive the $1,000 grant award to help accomplish our mission of inspiring girls to lead joyful, healthy, confident lives through our fun, evidence-based curriculum.

Sports have seen a double-digit decline over the past decade, largely due to tighter budgets in communities, but young people that participate in sports are found to be happier, healthier and better students. As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner.

“The Gatorade Player of the Year award highlights student-athletes who set an example both on and off the field,” said Josh Lytel, Associate Marketing Manager for Gatorade Player of the Year. “The grants give these athletes a chance to donate to organizations like, Girls on the Run South Louisiana, that positively impacts the youth in their own communities.”

"We celebrate Michelle's accomplishments and her generosity to support the next generation," said Carley Fuller, Executive Director of Girls on the Run South Louisiana. "With over 1,000 girls served each year and over 50% of participants receiving program scholarships, funds like these ensure we never turn a girl away from programming due to financial barriers."

All 610 Gatorade State Player of the Year recipients are awarded a grant to donate to a social impact partner of their choosing. Each Player of the Year can also submit a video about why their organization is deserving of one of 12 Spotlight Grants, which awards an additional $10,000 to the organization. To date, Player of the Year winners’ grants have totaled more than $5.6 million across more than 2,000 organizations.

Gatorade has a longstanding history of serving athlete communities and it’s ambition is to continue doing more to create positive change. Most recently, Gatorade announced its Equity in Sports commitment, a multi-year initiative to help everyone have equal opportunities to play sports and realize their potential.

Girls on the Run South Louisiana looks forward to celebrating the limitless potential of girls in our state at our end-of-season Girls on the Run 5K on May 3 in Baton Rouge and May 4 in Lafayette. Join us and hundreds of young girls, volunteers, and community members as a 5K participant or volunteer. Thanks to the support of people like Michelle and Gatorade, the finish line is only the beginning!