DENVER, Oct. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Actress Courtney Thorne-Smith is joining Girls on the Move in Denver this week to promote strong physical, mental and emotional health for girls and women. As a star on Melrose Place and Ally McBeal, Thorne-Smith has felt the impact body image can have on self-esteem, a struggle she chronicles in a Self article this month.

A special project of Outward Bound, Girls on the Move is a 3,865 mile journey of education, celebration and inspiration. Over 60 remarkable women, chosen from hundreds of applicants, began their journey in Portland, Ore., on September 9, 2000, and will arrive in New York City on November 16. Along the way, they are stopping in communities to perform educational outreach and hold Girls Festivals focused on providing role-models and opening the doors to activities and organizations that work for girls and women.

Girls on the Move will arrive in Denver on Wednesday (10/4). The highpoint of their Denver stay will be a Girls Ride and Girls Festival in City Park on Saturday (10/7) where Thorne-Smith will be joined by Motown/Universal Recording Artists R-Angels, Gold Medal Olympian Benita Fizgerald-Moseley and Sydney triathlon competitor Jennifer Gutierrez. For event information, visit http://www.girlsonthemove.com .

"Happiness really does come from within. Be true to your dreams and stand up for what you believe in, not what society expects you to be," says Thorne-Smith. "Girls can be whatever they want to be. That's what Girls on the Move is all about."

Thorne-Smith is joined on the Girls on the Move advisory board by top celebrities, athletes and experts like Susan Sarandon, Amy Joe-Johnson, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Summer Sanders and Deborah Norville.

To arrange interviews with Girls on the Move riders/spokespersons or to coordinate coverage, call Courtney Knowles at 828-215-5708.

Contact: Courtney Knowles, 828-215-5708, or Jennifer Harlander, 612-810-3189, both for Girls on the Move