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Honda Celebrates 20 Years of Sponsoring Student’s Run LA [VIDEO]

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Honda’s 20-year partnership with Students Run L.A. helps underserved middle and high school students realize their potential and plot a new course for their future by providing them with a life changing experience -- training for and completing the 26.2 mile Los Angeles Marathon.

For the past twenty years, Honda has been supporting Students Run LA’s (SRLA) goal of helping underserved middle and high school students realize their potential by training for and completing in the 26.2-mile Los Angeles Marathon.

Each year, more than 95% of the students who start the race are able to finish the full course, and nearly 100% of the high school seniors who finish the marathon go on to graduate and seek higher education. A new video from Honda highlights the dedication of these student athletes:


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“Since partnering with SRLA 20 years ago, we’ve been inspired by the challenging spirit and commitment that each year’s class of SRLA students has shown,” said Steve Morikawa, Vice President of Corporate Relations and Social Responsibility for American Honda Motor Company. “We hope the program’s lessons in goal-setting and perseverance will help them as they continue to pursue their dreams for the future.”

To recognize their achievements, Honda hosted a ceremony honoring the students of this year’s graduating class. The Honda campus in Torrance, California hosted 350 SRLA high school seniors, SRLA leaders, and volunteers for the “Celebrating Dreams Graduation Event.” Three individual students were singled out and recognized for both their outstanding academic achievements and their completion of the Los Angeles Marathon.

The honored seniors included Lyptis R. of Banning High School; Melissa R. of North Hollywood High School, Zoo Magnet; and Rosa C. of Alliance Gertz-Ressler Richard Merkin Complex, who each received a $500 scholarship.

“Embodying the spirit of SRLA’s tag line, ‘In it for the long run,’ American Honda has been a valued supporter of Students Run L.A. for 20 years,” said Marsha Charney, Executive Director of Students Run LA. “We are honored by Honda’s partnership and its commitment to empower our students to realize their dreams.”

During its two-decade partnership with SRLA, Honda has contributed over $2 million in funding to provide for students’ uniforms, nutrition, training, and scholarships. Honda associates have also volunteered their time to support SRLA students’ training, including a group of Honda volunteers that participates each year in the “Run Them In” activity, meeting the SRLA students at the marathon’s 22-mile mark and running alongside them for the final 4.2 miles of the race. Associate volunteers also line the streets to cheer the students as they cross the finish line.

In total, nearly 2,800 SRLA students trained for and participated in the 2017 LA Marathon.

SRLA members participate in weekly training sessions for seven months prior to the Los Angeles Marathon, which helps teach students the value of commitment, dedication, and discipline. To date, over 63,000 students have participated in SRLA’s training program, since it was first founded in 1989.


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