For 16 years, the race has been on to help the children of Haiti.
On Oct. 13, Presbyterian Church in Fergus will hold its 16th annual “Race for the Children of Haiti”.
What began for the HEARTS (Haitians Educated and Ready to Serve) group at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Fergus as an attempt to help one school pay its teachers’ salaries of $50 USD each per month together with a feeding program for 150 children has mushroomed over the years to include four schools with more than 1,200 students and over 100 teachers, teachers’ assistants, cooks and other support staff. The teachers still make very little, earning approximately $75 USD each per month.
However, what was once a $10,000 per year mission has grown to what has become this year a $50,000 plus mission to the children of Haiti which covers academic and food costs for over 1,300 students in JK thru Grade 9.
HEARTS Volunteer John McCluskey explains “I am often asked why bother with Haiti, why now, nothing ever seems to change, the place is hopeless.”
He contends “Now is very much the time to invest in Haiti, things are changing but they need our help, and Haiti is anything but hopeless and with the right kind of encouragement it can be so much more than it is now.”
McCluskey says, “Nothing ever seems to happen quickly in Haiti and often two steps forward are accompanied by one step back.”
He said “the health system needs major financial assistance, but it is the education system that will determine the future of Haiti and what will become of the next generation, and the next, and the next. This is where HEARTS and St. Andrew’s has maintained its focus for so many years.”
McCluskey states “it is currently estimated that little more than 50% of all Haitian children attend school and that those that do they will in all likelihood attend for only three or four years. That leaves over 1,000,000 children never seeing the inside of a classroom.”
While it may seem like a daunting task for any group to come to grips with, McCluskey says there are many groups, some faith-based and some not, who are trying to make a difference.
“HEARTS has played a unique role in this process. It has served as a catalyst for other groups who wish to get involved in educating young Haitians and has received funding from as far away as Nova Scotia, and it continues to encourage other churches and groups to think about how they may help prepare young Haitians for the future,” McCluskey says.
McCluskey explains the Oct. 13 race is a 5 km run/walk which raises approximately $10,000 each year of its $50,000 budget.
He says “It is hard to believe but $10,000 will fund the education program for an entire school in the mountains of Haiti serving as many as 150 children.”
McCluskey adds, “Think about this,“$10,000 will help fund an entire school of 150 children for a whole year. It has got to be one of the biggest returns, biggest investments that any group or any individual can get for its charitable contribution.”
HEARTS is looking for local support for “The Race for the Children of Haiti” on Oct. 13 to make a huge difference in the life of a Haitian child.
Call St. Andrew’s at (519) 843-3565 to learn how to help the children of Haiti or to register online for the run/walk go to www.standrewsfergus.org.
