Fill the Ark

Last week was the 6th annual Fill The Ark 5k run and 1 mile walk. It's a local event, started by a woman in our neighborhood who wanted to do something to raise awareness of and money for Heifer International.

Heifer is a wonderful organization that donates farm animals to the poorest of the poor in our world. In addition to giving animals, they also build the infrastructure (barns, fences, fields etc.) necessary to maintain them, and the education needed to successfully breed them. When a villager is given an animal and that animal produces offspring, they give the offspring to a neighbor. This "pay it forward" system quickly transforms the lives of any village that Heifer works with, and the difference that one animal can make for a family is truly remarkable.

Anyone can be involved with Heifer...they have a gift catalog which you can use to buy animals for needy people to receive. In fact, it's a great idea for your next office party gift exchange, or for all the really hard-to-shop-for people in your life. You can buy a flock of chickens, a goat, heifer, water buffalo or a camel etc., and gift it in their honor. What better gift is there than changing lives?

I love the stories about Heifer's impact on countless lives, and am happy to have been part of this race committee for the past two years. Last year I beat the street getting local businesses to donate prizes for the race winners and raffle. This year I was the food committee chairwoman, which meant securing all the food and beverages that would be consumed by the runners. This role precluded me actually running in the race myself, since I'm slower than an arthritic sloth and needed to be there when the runners returned. So literally, I was just there for the food :-) (that's my favorite line from the movie Ever After)

I managed to get enough bagels, donuts, bananas, apples, water, Otter Pops and Great Harvest bread donated to feed over five hundred people, and it worked out just perfectly with only a few items left after the crowds dissipated. But the best news of all is that we exceeded our goal of raising over $10,000 for Heifer...enough to give two arks of animals. That's pretty impressive for a little neighborhood race.

Bunch & Doc after the run

Bunch & Gator both won a free Shave Ice at Bob's Brain Freeze. Yum!