Letter to the Editor, Gunnison Country Times, August 8th, 2019

Editor:

To put it simply, girls (and women) rule. Young girls of the Gunnison Valley, who will one day be tomorrow’s leaders, will be faced with many challenges throughout their lives. They will struggle with finding their place in social groups, being competitive in sports, navigating relationships, figuring out their true passions, and possibly fighting the battle of
a life-changing illness like cancer. We all know that life is a challenge but it is also a beautiful gift. One of the greatest gifts that gets us through the ups and downs of life is the support from our friends — especially girlfriends!

Two local nonprofit organizations, the gO Initiative and Cattlemen’s Days Tough Enough to Wear Pink (TETWP), led by two long-standing friends of more than 16 years, have joined forces to create an event like no other. The first-ever Grits, Guts and Gals event at the I Bar Ranch on Friday, Aug. 16 celebrates friendships, overcoming challenges
and a general good time. Doors open at 3 p.m., and the fun begins with Synergy Athlete ninja warrior course, all ages Strider bike races, 5B’s BBQ and Burnell’s food trucks, CB Wanderbus photo booth, OneTribe gear, karaoke and — the highlight of the night — the Goonies ’80s cover band at 7:30 p.m. The goal for this event is to unite women of
all ages to encourage, celebrate, challenge, love and support each other through fun athletic challenges, opportunities to laugh and be silly, and of course dance to some rocking music.

Both organizations have one big thing in common: empowering women and girls to take care of themselves and others in order to lead a healthy, active lifestyle. The gOgirls of the gO Initiative have spent the summer working on their mountain biking skills, mindfulness, and learning healthy habits; they will be heading into a new school year at both ends of the valley, hopefully armed with a slew of leadership and confidence skills. TETWP sees women with cancer in the Gunnison Valley every day and it is a constant reminder of how important friendship is in helping these warriors battle cancer throughout our valley, a need that unfortunately doesn’t seem to be dwindling.

We invite you to join us on Friday, Aug. 16 in supporting these two important organizations in our valley. Everyone (even the boys) is welcome! If you can’t make it to the event, you can still support at gritsgutsgals.com. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Sarah Stubbe, President, the gO Initiative
Heidi Sherratt, Executive Director, Cattlemen’s Days Tough Enough to Wear Pink