THE GREAT ROOT MOVEMENT
Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
Our Mission
Love. Move. Rize. We are rooted in love. Our roots grow deep. We all have a purpose. When we love, move, & 'rize' together, hope & healing are possible.
Founded in 2018, The Great Root Movement is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization rooted in love and dedicated to creating a community where women are seen, heard, valued, and loved.
The Great Root Movement was founded by Karen A. Sparks, a bereaved mother, domestic‑abuse survivor, endurance athlete, race director, and advocate whose life was forever changed by tragedy. After the devastating loss of her children, Reagan and Grant, Karen decided that her pain would not end her story: it would become the beginning of a movement dedicated to hope, healing, and purpose.
Drawing strength from her faith, the running trails, and the power of community, Karen turned unimaginable grief into a mission to serve others. Through The Great Root Movement, she creates safe spaces where women can experience love, find connection, embrace movement as a pathway to healing, and discover the courage to rise again.
Today, Karen’s journey has inspired thousands. She shares her message through:
- Love Never Ends Trail Series
- Love. Move. Rize. Retreat
Her mission is simple yet profound: to ensure that everyone who encounters The Great Root Movement feels seen, heard, loved, and empowered to cross their own finish line.
We believe that every person experiences grief and trauma throughout life. While grief is often associated with the loss of a loved one, we also grieve dreams, relationships, identities, health, safety, and seasons of life that have changed forever. No matter the source of our pain, we believe healing happens when we come together and remind one another that we are not alone.
Through our Love. Move. Rize. Women's Retreats, we create sacred spaces where women can step away from the demands of everyday life to simply be—to breathe, rest, reconnect, and heal. Surrounded by nature, participants experience the restorative power of walking trails, movement as therapy, meaningful connection, reflection, and community support.
Our retreats are built upon three core principles:
- Love – Loving ourselves, receiving love from others, and extending compassion and grace to those around us.
- Move – Embracing movement as a form of healing through walking, running, hiking, boxing, yoga, and other activities that support physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness.
- Rize – Rising beyond survival and stepping into purpose, strength, hope, and the life that still lies ahead.
We honor both ourselves and the life in front of us. Together, we rest. Together, we heal. Together, we Love. Move. Rize.
The Great Root Movement is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization sustained through generous donations and fundraising efforts from The Love Never Ends Trail Series. As our primary fundraising initiative, Love Never Ends Trail Series is more than a race series—it is a community movement that brings people together to honor love, resilience, healing, and hope while supporting our mission. We have four races each year -
- The Love Never Ends Trail Race
- Backyard Ultras and fixed-timed races
- The Great Root Trail Race
- Always Running With R&G 5k
Every mile run and every dollar raised directly support our Love. Move. Rize. Retreats and RIZE Scholarships for women who have experienced child loss, domestic violence, and other life-altering traumas. Through these scholarships, we help remove financial barriers so that every woman has the opportunity to access healing, restoration, connection, and support.
Together, we are creating spaces where women can rest, heal, be seen, be heard, and be loved as they reconnect with themselves, find strength in community, and find purpose in the life that still lies ahead.
At The Great Root Movement, we believe healing is not meant to happen alone. We are a community rooted in love, grounded in hope, strengthened through movement, and committed to helping women LOVE.MOVE.RIZE. into the fullness of who they were created to be.
"In 2015, my world was shattered when my soon-to-be ex-husband murdered my only two children, Reagan (9) and Grant (8), and killed himself. This horrific loss led me into a deep depression and overwhelming grief, and I even attempted suicide. My journey to recovery has been guided by my faith in God, therapy, running, and support groups. In 2018, with the help of family and friends, I founded TGRM as a community of hope and support that provides resources for women, bereaved mothers, and survivors of domestic abuse and trauma." -KAS
According to The American Psychological Association
ways movement helps in grief and overall mental, emotional, & physical health
- Grounding oneself in nature improves mental state.
- Breathing = Oxygen to brain.
- Releases Dopamine & Serotonin = improves mood.
- Improves blood flow.
- Aides in stress relief, anxiety, and depression.
About Us
My name is Karen Sparks. On November 1, 2015, my children, Reagan (9) and Grant (8) were murdered by their father in a murder-suicide/filicide. It's been over 2,500 days since I've seen my children, held them, heard their voices and laughter, or been called "Mom." After burying the two loves of my life, I battled and fought my way out of two graves each day to gasp for breath. Routine tasks were debilitating, and I reached a point in my grief journey where I thought my life was pointless and wanted it to end. There is no word in the English language for a mother who lost her children. After my suicide attempt, my family intervened and got me the help I needed. While attending long-term therapy, God restored my identity and purpose. My journey will always be a struggle, but I know I am rooted in love. There is hope in the darkness through therapy, running, mental health awareness, and a caring community.
The Great Root Movement is named after my children, Grant & Reagan ("G" for Grant, "Rea" for Reagan, and the "t" is the cross that makes them great). They loved big, moved boldly, and would always rize to meet life's challenges. My most important title will always be "Reagan and Grant's Mom." My mission is to share our story and help others like us.
Our Impact 2026
TGRM started in 2018. We provide access to mental and physical health resources for women, volunteer in our community, and provide scholarships for bereaved mothers, domestic abuse and trauma survivors for therapeutic programs. In memory of Reagan and Grant, we provide scholarships for high school graduates for college and trade school.
- We began our RIZE Scholarship in 2023 and to date we have helped 20 women with scholarships, reached over 300 in our Love. Move. Rize. Women's Group, and over 10,000 through social media.
- In 2025 we partnered with The Onsite Foundation, Haven of Hope, Sparrow Collective, The Storehouse, to provide resources and volunteers.
- To date we have provided 125 high school scholarships through our collaboration with Reagan & Grant Small Endowed Memorial VAEF/MEF and our TGRM Scholarships in various schools in Texas and the United States.
- Our Love. Move. Rize. Women’s Group provides a safe space for women to walk/hike/run in nature and we encourage one another during our exercise. We volunteer with other nonprofits in Collin County to provide food, serve food, over 115 coats for children, and court advocacy for women in our group.
- This year our Love Never Ends Trail Series expanded from 1 race to 3 races with the participation numbers increasing over 1,600 since its inception - Love Never Ends Trail Run (Atoka, OK), The Great Root Trail Race (Dallas, TX), Always Running With R&G 5k (McKinney TX).
- We have volunteered at multiple community races throughout DFW and donated to other nonprofits who serve women and children.
- Representing TGRM, Karen has spoken to high school graduates, and school programs, and paced runners in local and national races – as she represents resilience, determination, inspiration and message of love and hope.
Geographic Area Served:
- Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, New York, California (RIZE & High School Scholarships).
- Other U.S. states (Love. Move. Rize.) - Outreach is worldwide.