Orphan Run Mississippi: A Personal Best, Half a House, and YOU

Received my staff  T-Shirt for the Orphan Run MS 5K this week -- must be close to race day!

Orphan Run Mississippi 5K (and 1-mile fun run): 11 DAYS AWAY!!!

My goal for the Orphan Run Mississippi, from a running standpoint, is something better than 26:58, my personal best 5K time.  In light of that goal, I had been running at least twice a week, building up my stamina until I could push hard toward my goal.  

 

A sinus infection, a week in Haiti, and a week catching up on work and rest after the trip began to look strangely like 3 weeks without a run.  So last Friday, I decided it was past time to run to Orphan Run MS 5K course, a new course for Hernando, for the first time.  Though there were a couple of difficult spots on the course, I was only 32 seconds away from a personal-best time.  (As I should have expected, my body let me know over the next few days that it did not in the least appreciate the hiatus from nor the sudden re-entry into the running world.)

But more importantly . . .

 

From a much more important standpoint, I asked race director EmilyFaith Abbott for an update on the progress of the race preparation from a participation and funding standpoint.  Here are the current numbers:

The "why" behind the "what"

    

Race Participants

Closing in on 200 runners.  I have talked to several people who have great intentions of participating in the run . . . if it's not too late.  It's not too late!  Click on the race flyer below to sign up.

Funds Raised

Just over $12,000 so far.  The cost of a new children's home in Uganda costs about $25,000.  Who builds half a house?  Please use you influence to get others involved, and together let's get at least one home for orphaned children built!

Biggest Need

Participants!!!  More runners, more volunteers, more people to get the word out about the run over the next 10 days.  4theVoiceless will be handling runner registration and packet distribution; we will also have a table where we will sell cookbooks and jewelry to raise funds for our orphan care projects.  You can sign up to volunteer with us here.

More On Orphan Run Mississippi

Previous blog posts about the run:
And Suddenly . . . Orphan Run MS
Prepping to Run for Orphans

Orphan Run MS on Facebook
Orphan Run MS on Twitter

Uganda Facts

Population: 23,000,000

Life expectancy:  42 years (1 in 12 Ugandans is an orphan)

Income:  44% make less than 60,000 shillings ($34.00) per month

Geography:  Landlocked nation of 91,000 square miles (about the size of lower Michigan)

Neighbors:

North - Sudan

East - Kenya

South - Tanzania, Rwanda

West - Congo

Language:  English is the official language with a significant number of native Swahili dialects spoken

Religion:  Protestants 33%, Roman Catholic 33%, Indigenous 19%, Muslim 15%

 

Click above to sign up for the run, to make a donation, and/or to pass on the information to a friend.

Thanks for reading.  See you on race day . . .

4theVoiceless,
Al