Since 2012, the Starting Strides program has supported thousands of young runners by providing scholarships to schools with economically disadvantaged communities. These scholarships help eliminate the barriers that prevent students from participating in:

• The Operation Smile Shamrock Final Mile in March
• The Chartway Norfolk Harbor Kids Mile in November

Twice a year, up to 50 students at each participating school receive:

• Running shoes
• Professional shoe fitting from Running Etc.
• Race entry into the Shamrock Final Mile or Norfolk Harbor Kids Mile
• School race shirt to wear on race day
• Transportation to and from the event

For Shamrock 2025 alone, the Starting Strides program included 803 students from across 17 schools, thanks to the J&A Racing Foundation and school sponsors.

In 2012, J&A Racing’s owners, Jerry and Amy Frostick, visited a local elementary school to run with the students. During that visit, Amy met a boy who forever changed her view on running. After hearing that running is the only time he truly feels happy since he witnessed his own mother’s death, J&A Racing made it part of its mission to make running accessible to other students just like the one Amy ran with that day.

For more information about the Starting Strides program, email Lori Cooper at lori@jandaracing.com.

For more information about becoming a school sponsor, email Jamie Rhoades at jamie@jandaracing.com.