My Random Thoughts.

And because it’s my blog, and because I helped write the press release, I am going to post it. Here’s the information that you need to get involved:

6th ANNUAL ELLIE’S RUN FOR AFRICA FURTHERS TEEN’S DREAM TO EDUCATE AFRICAN CHILDREN

NASHVILLE, Tenn., — For the sixth year in a row, Ellie’s Run for Africa will bring hope to the children living in the slums of Kenya by raising funds for their education and helping to break the cycle of poverty that plagues their communities.

Proceeds from the event are slated to primarily benefit two projects:  The New Dawn School and the Emmanuel Vocational School.  Both projects serve students in their teen years in Nairobi, Kenya slums – where education is an often-missed opportunity for the majority of their peers yet is the ticket out of the slums.

Says one student, Hannington Odhiambo, of his time at New Dawn Academy: “I thought that school was a place of total freedom and independence with all the luxurious things around but the time I joined New Dawn Educational center I found a true and real school. A school that not only concentrated on academics but also on discipline matters as well as spiritual growth. A school that … had special teachers who helped me to grow upright in the epoch society.”

One American Child Helping One African Child

Ellie’s Run for Africa started when one Nashville, Tenn. child – Ellie Ambrose – saw pictures of African children whose skin, as Ambrose says, “looked like it would break their bones, they were so hungry.”  Ambrose was ten.  Now 16, Ambrose has raised approximately $210,000 which has funded classroom construction and purchased uniforms, books and shoes for students. Several hundred students are impacted each year.

“In the last six years, this opportunity to help kids in Africa has made me feel hopeful, eager, frustrated and grateful all at the same time,” says Ambrose, who is currently planning her 4^th trip to Africa this summer and will independently study Swahili – the language of Kenya – in the fall.  “But, no matter how I feel, the kids who I have met in Africa still need our help.  We’ve been able to help these kids with exactly what they need for five years, and I am eager to see the Nashville community help them again.”

Event Details

Date:               May 22, 2010

Time:

6:30 a.m. – Registration (both pre-registered and on-site registrants)
7:30 a.m. – 5K Race
8:30 a.m. – Kid’s One-Mile Fun Run
6:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. – Entertainment, games and refreshments

Location:

Percy Warner Park, Cross Country Field
Corner of Hwy 100 and Old Hickory Blvd.
Nashville, Tenn.

To learn more about Ambrose’s story, who we benefit and the race day activities, visit www.elliesrun.org. To learn more about African Leadership, a Brentwood-based non-profit organization that administers all Ellie’s Run for Africa proceeds to projects in Africa, visit www.africanleadership.org.

Ellie’s Run for Africa

Ellie’s Run for Africa is a 5K race and family fun day that raises money and inspires others to act for Africa. Sprung from the dream and prayers of one 10-year-old girl, Ellie’s Run for Africa brings together North American communities to Dream Big and Take Action for Africa about how they can strengthen the future of African children through education and healthcare.

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