Miles that Matter

Miles That Matter is a 5K Run/Walk and community festival organized by Hattie Kaplan, a senior at Truckee High School, happening on Sunday, September 21, 2025, at Truckee River Regional Park. The event brings together fitness, live music, food, a raffle, and local vendors for a global cause. Festival entry is free, while the run/walk is $40 for adults and $20 for students/youth. Every participant and donor will receive a handmade bracelet symbolizing global sisterhood and one raffle ticket for every $10 donated.

Proceeds will support girls in Moshi, Tanzania by providing reusable menstrual cups through our partner CouldYou? Cup — working to end period poverty by 2040 — along with the creation of the EmpowerHER Workbook, a resource that teaches girls about the menstrual cycle, reproductive health, financial literacy, leadership, and confidence.

Why I Started This Work

Two years ago, while in Tanzania, I unexpectedly got my period and went to the store for supplies. The only option available was a foot-long, 3-inch-thick, mint-scented pad. When I told my local mentor I couldn’t believe that was all they had, she gently corrected me: “We don’t have to deal with that—we get to, if we’re lucky.”

That moment opened my eyes to period poverty. Many girls are left tied up with rags, stuck in bed, and unaware of what’s happening to their bodies because of stigma. As I researched, I learned that lack of education leads to bigger issues—25% of girls ages 14–19 in Tanzania are already pregnant or mothers. Many are forced to rely on much older men for survival, creating cycles of dependence.

Through Miles That Matter and the EmpowerHER Workbook, I aim to give girls not only access to safe period care, but also the tools to understand their health, manage their own money, and recognize their self-worth. This work is about more than periods—it’s about dignity, empowerment, and creating a future of choice.

Registration 

Learn More

Questions? Hattiekaplan106@gmail.com or 775-431-4641