- Photo courtesy of Harpo Studios by George Burns
Black Girls Run! founders Ashely Hicks and Tori Carey received top honors from Oprah Winfrey during her Atlanta “The Life You Want” Weekend, an eight-city arena tour and transformational weekend. Black Girls Run is an Atlanta-based national running group created to combat obesity among African-American women. Hicks and Carey are the first recipients of The Toyota “Standing O-Vation†award, eight of which such honors are to be presented at tour stops this fall.
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The Toyota “Standing O-Vationâ€Â recognizes extraordinary people who are making positive changes in their communities and inspiring others to do the same. Winfrey and Team Toyota brand ambassador Amy Purdy honored Black Girls Run with a $25,000 grant from Toyota.
Click here to see Hicks and Carey’s story.
Black Girls RUN! was formed by Hicks and Carey to increase the number of African-American women who run, improving their fitness, quality of life, and ultimately decreasing the number of African-American women who are overweight. What began with a blog has grown into a network of more than seventy groups and hundreds of thousands of members across the nation.
“We are still in shock at what happened tonight and cannot believe we were chosen to receive this once-in-a-lifetime honor,†says Hicks.  “Eighty percent of African-American women suffer from obesity, and this group was a way to get women moving. This honor gives us the opportunity to take Black Girls RUN! to the next level, allowing us to serve our community even further,” adds Carey.
The driving force behind The Toyota “Standing O-Vation†stems from the automaker’s commitment to fostering women’s interests. While reflecting the kind of stories that define the brand, this award is an opportunity to celebrate remarkable women who are not only making the world a better place, but also motivating others to spark their own journey of personal change, states the automaker.
Each tour stop of “Oprah’s The Life You Want Weekend” spans two days. On Friday nights, Winfrey takes the stage with her personal story and insights to
life. Then on Saturdays, she leads a day-long gathering of thousands with handpicked thought leaders and pop culture icons including Iyanla Vanzant, star of the OWN series Iyanla Fix My Life and best-selling author of Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert. Additionally, world-renowned author and pioneer in mind-body medicine Deepak Chopra will take the stage in select cities.“Oprah’s The Life You Want Weekend” is produced by Harpo Studios, O, The Oprah Magazine, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network and WME Live, and is presented by Toyota and Olay. “Oprah’s The Life You Want Weekend” will include additional presentations of Toyota’s “Standing O-Vation†awards during the following tour stops:
Sept. 12-13     Auburn Hills, Michigan         The Palace of Auburn Hills
Sept. 19-20Â Â Â Â Â Washington D.C. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Verizon Center
Sept. 26-27     Newark, New Jersey             Prudential Center
Oct. 17-18       Houston, Texas                     Toyota Center
Oct. 24-25       Miami, Florida                      American Airlines Arena
Nov. 7-8           Seattle, Washington              KeyArena at Seattle Center
Nov. 14-15      San Jose, California              SAP Center at San Jose