Race for Change
Do you love to run, bike, swim, or hike in God’s creation? Or how about this – do you need to get more exercise out in God’s creation? What if you could do that AND help your fellow sisters and brothers in Africa? What if you could simultaneously get in shape, relieve your stress, and provide education, food, clothing, and health care for orphans and vulnerable children?
We’re here to tell you that you CAN! You can do a Race for Change that will forever impact your life as well as the lives of hundreds of kids in Africa. Here’s how it works: pick a race that you want to be part of. It could be a marathon, 5k run, triathlon, bike-a-thon, or any other event that is already taking place. OR create your own event: a 24-hour hike-a-thon up a local mountain, a 300-mile bike ride down the coast, or anything else you’ve always wanted to try! Invite others to participate! They can sponsor you financially or race with you and get their own sponsors. Create a fundraising page online at Firstgiving.com and email the facts and cause to all your friends and family, inviting them to sponsor you per mile or per hour that you race. Train for the event, spread the word, pray, and race for the children in Africa!
Getting Started
Pick a Race: Research different events in your area. Check online or go to a local running store to find out about opportunities. Or, if you prefer to create your own race, brainstorm with a few friends the dates and route you would like to do.
Contact Us: E-mail us at getinvolved@empoweringlives.org or call us at 909.931.1311 to let us know about your event. We want to mark it on our calendar and get you all of the information you need. We will be praying for you throughout your journey!
Understand the Cause: We are asking you to race on behalf of 200 needy children at the ELI Primary School in Southern Sudan. Located in the war-torn region of Kolmarek, the ELI school is one of the first beacons of hope to shine in the community after the devastating 21-year civil war. Committed to the wholeness and empowerment of the families it serves, the school provides the children in the community with a Christian education, spiritual development, skills for the future, and one meal each day. The funds you raise will help us to continue to feed and educate the children, as well as train and empower their parents, as together the community begins to rebuild their lives and village. E-mail or call us to get more info about this cause and our ministry in Southern Sudan! Also, if you want to learn more about the struggles in Sudan, we recommend reading “They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky,” written by three Sudanese lost boys.
Get a Team: Share the idea with your friends and recruit some of them to participate with you. It’s great to have a team to train and race with. You can keep each other accountable, encourage one another, and work together to get sponsors and spread the word.
Make your Fundraising Page: Go to www.firstgiving.com/empoweringlives to create your own personal fundraising page. The site will lead you through the process to set up a page that explains your event, your cause, your fundraising goals, and the opportunity for people to donate for you online. Use the text in the “Understand the Cause” section above as you make your page, and add your own personal touches. Once your page is made, e-mail the link to all of your friends and family!
Action Steps
Train and Pray: Commit to praying for the kids in Sudan while you train. Let your exhaustion, thirst, and pain spur you on to pray for them as you identify with their suffering. The families in Southern Sudan live in 120 degree heat most days and many of them walked for thousands of miles across the desert without food or water during the war. Let their perseverance inspire you!
Keep Spreading the Word: Share about the race with everyone! Send the link to your fundraising page to everyone you know. Create an invitation to donate or join the race on Facebook. Invite as many people to participate as possible, whether financially or physically! People can donate directly online, or they can make a check out to ELI. You can give us these checks at the end of your event.
Race for their Lives: Show up to the event and race for their lives. Give it your all. Pray as you compete. As you pray for your own strength and endurance, pray for theirs as well. Have a blast! Make t-shirts if you want. Get creative and have fun!
Report Back: Send an update about the event to your supporters and to ELI. Thank your supporters for the powerful role they played. Help them feel like part of your team. Send a few pictures and a paragraph about your experience to ELI. We would love to post them on our website to encourage others to participate in their own events!
The Money: All money donated on Firstgiving will be directly sent to ELI. If some supporters gave you checks, you can mail those to our office at PO Box 67, Upland CA 91785.
Be sure to check out the other ways to get involved! Have fun, be creative, and know that your life has so much value and potential to change things for the better!
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.” –Margaret Mead