Healthy Athletes, Healthy Futures
We believe that athletic participation is a foundation for success in life. Kids who play sports have higher self-esteem, greater self-confidence, better academic outcomes, less obesity and are less likely to use drugs. Grounded in the work of pioneering physician Kevin L. Armstrong, the Armstrong M.D. Memorial Sports Foundation provides running shoes, race fees, transportation and support to help kids reach their full potential. Since 2005, over 16,000 students have been benefited from our all-volunteer programs including our RunStrong running clubs which train and equip students to successfully compete in and complete 5k and 10k races. Join us by sponsoring a student! Your gift of $200 will provide:
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Events
Save the Date: May 5, 2025
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2025 marks TWENTY YEARS of helping Santa Ana's youth to be more healthy and productive. We are excited to be celebrating and hope you can join us! More info coming soon.
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RunStrong Upcoming Race Alert - Dino Dash, Sunday, November 3, 2024
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The Dino Dash will return to The Market Place on Sunday, November 3rd. Launched by KAMSF, in 2010, RunStrong is comprised of student athletes from seven intermediate schools in the Santa Ana Unified School District and is now one of the largest running clubs in Orange County. On November 3rd, participants will join runners from all over Orange County to compete in the 5k. After 15 years, Santa Ana students are Still Running Strong! KAMSF - providing opportunities for Santa Ana students to excel athletically and academically for 20 years.
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News
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A team of runners from Mendez Fundamental School participated in the Mt. Sac XC Invite for the first time on Friday, October 18, 2024. Under the leadership of Coach Jesse Penunuri, their hard work, practice and dedication paid off! Congratulations to all who participated - we had top ten finishes for the boys and girls. A special shout out to: Amaya Esparza, Winner 3rd Place, Girls Varsity; Gabriel Arroyo, Winner 5th Place, Boys Varsity and to our girls' team for taking home the 3rd Place Team Award. We appreciate Coach Bueno for her support and guidance and to all the parents who joined us to cheer our team on, we say Thank You! See you all at the Dino Dash!
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Kevin Armstrong MD Memorial Sports Foundation Vice President Karen Armstrong was honored to be invited by Heather Jordan of KNX News Radio, Los Angeles to provide an update on their work with Santa Ana kids. "To Heather and the dedicated listeners of KNX, thank you for recognizing us as a KNX "Hero of the Week" back in 2019 and for continuing to support the Foundation!"
RunStrong Year-End Family Celebration and Fun Run caps off 2023-24!
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The 2024 Year End Family Celebration brought together RunStrong participants, coaches, KAMSF Board Members, parents, siblings, friends and program sponsors to recognize the accomplishments of runners and acknowledge the success of the program. The day included certificates presented to outstanding runners at each of the Runstrong school sites, heartfelt speeches from student and coaches and the first ever RunStrong “Legacy Medal” given to all graduating 8th graders. Thanks to everyone for making this year an incredible success. Have a wonderful summer and we look forward to seeing you in the fall!
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RunStrong 2023-24 ReCap: We continue to grow in numbers and in impact!
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During the 2023-24 school year, The Kevin Armstrong MD Memorial Sports Foundation sponsored over 700 runners from Santa Ana in three events: the “Dino Dash”, the “Santa Claus for A Cause” Run and the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation’s “Reaching for the Cure” race. Now one of the largest running clubs in Orange County, RunStrong's presence was felt at all races. Decked out in their new "Columbia Blue" Team shirts and new ASICs running shoes, RunStrong students took their place at the start line ready to compete, run their best and finish strong.
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We took home countless awards this season as many coaches and students crossed the finish line first in their age groups. We are proud of RunStrong students for working hard and giving their all - they continue to represent the SAUSD and their community with pride. Thank you to the volunteer coaches and chaperones for continuing to invest your time and talent. Go RunStrong! Read the RunStrong Newsletter
For more articles, see our Blog.
KAMSF Presents RunStar Featured Athletes
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Winter 2023 RunStar Featured Student Runner Shaun Gonzales
Shaun Gonzales, is a well-rounded student athlete. As a sophomore at Santa Ana High School, he participates in Track & Field and Water Polo while taking AP and Honor classes. He is also part of the mock trial as a co-captain as well as being a leader in FCA, a Fellowship for Christian Athletes. This may seem like a heavy load, but Shaun would have it no other way and he has maintained a 4.8 GPA. Read More. |
RunStrong launched in 2010 and over the years participants have gone on to high school, college and beyond. We are excited to share the stories of our superstar RunStrong Alumni and we are grateful to have been a part of their journey!
Meet our RunStrong Alumni
Kimberly Huynh - RunStrong Participant: 2006-2013
Kimberly participated in RunStrong while attending McFadden Intermediate School. She enjoyed the program so much that she decided to form her own running club at Segerstorm High School and KAMSF sponsored her team. Kimberly shared that being a part of RunStrong inspired and motivated her to live a healthy lifestyle. As a result, she has participated in multiple 5ks, 10ks, as well as a half marathons. Her hard work, consistency and determination led her to compete in a full marathon in 2018 and an Olympic triathlon in 2022! Kimberly continues to live an active life which has been a tool to help her balance academic and professional stress. Her future goal is to complete a half Ironman competition. She is currently an Attorney at Springel & Fink, a construction litigation firm in Newport Beach, California.
Kimberly participated in RunStrong while attending McFadden Intermediate School. She enjoyed the program so much that she decided to form her own running club at Segerstorm High School and KAMSF sponsored her team. Kimberly shared that being a part of RunStrong inspired and motivated her to live a healthy lifestyle. As a result, she has participated in multiple 5ks, 10ks, as well as a half marathons. Her hard work, consistency and determination led her to compete in a full marathon in 2018 and an Olympic triathlon in 2022! Kimberly continues to live an active life which has been a tool to help her balance academic and professional stress. Her future goal is to complete a half Ironman competition. She is currently an Attorney at Springel & Fink, a construction litigation firm in Newport Beach, California.
"Thank you so much for being with us in every race and for supporting everyone in RunStrong and for buying us those shoes. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have been able to run in the 3 races. Thank you so much for the shirts and bags. ". ~ Eric, McFadden Intermediate School