COF Mini 10K – Winning Circles
On June 10th thousands ran, walked or cheered in Central Park as part of the Circle of Friends® New York Mini10K road race. For the third year in a row, the foundation partnered with New York Road Runners to sponsor the race to raise funds for foundation programs and increase awareness of tobacco use as a public health issue.
To highlight the importance of social support in the quit smoking process, the foundation's Circle of Friends "Winning Circles" program brought together a group of seven women who committed to quit smoking, as well as run or walk the Mini10K. For 12 weeks, the Winning Circles team met to train together for the race as well as receiving smoking cessation counseling.
One Winning Circles member, Dorianna Garnes, 29, of the Bronx, New York, committed to quit smoking after her younger sister told Dorianna that she intended to smoke just like her big sister, as soon as she was old enough. Alongside her Winning Circles team, Dorianna ran and finished the Mini10K, her first road race, and remains smoke-free today.
