Supply Run for West Africa!

As many of you know, there is currently a huge outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in West Africa. This virus is spreading fast and is extremely dangerous, with an estimated 1000 deaths since the outbreak started spreading back in March earlier this year. Since then, doctors have been trying to help as much as they can to contain this deadly disease, and it has been difficult for any citizen who is not there to help. However, there is currently a need that can be fixed quite easily. The doctors and medical professionals there are currently in shortage of vital sanitary goods such as gloves, buckets, boots and bleach. These goods are so important to help stop the spread of the disease, which is the only thing we can do to fight it as there is currently no known cure. While there have been experimental drugs that have showed promise, there is nothing that is widely accessible, and so the only wait of stopping it is physically stopping it from transmitting to other people.

So, how does running come into the picture? Well, I am organizing a short run that will be held in Bangor, Maine to help raise funds for these sanitary goods. THIS IS NOT A RACE. It will start at Bangor High School at 6 p.m. on Saturday, August 16th. The idea is that people will show up and donate as much as they want/can. Then at 6 we will go on a short run to show our support for those affected with the disease. The lack of these simple sanitary goods is a problem that shouldn’t be happening, and this is an easy way to help, as many people will no doubt be running that day anyway. The money will be sent through First Baptist Church Missions as a way to collect it in one place, and then ALL of the donations will be sent to Dr. Roseda Marshall, a Liberian doctor who has traveled to the United States to collect these type of supplies. I encourage everyone who can make it to come out to run and donate to a good cause. If you can’t make it out and would still like to help, you can email me at benruns4496@gmail.com and I will send you info on how you can donate or help in other ways. Thank you in advance and I hope to see you all out there!