Today’s post is from Soles4Souls’ CEO, Buddy Teaster:
It’s almost a cliché, but one of the most beautiful things about helping others is you never never know where it leads…or where it stops. And that is certainly the case with L’Ecole de Choix in Haiti.
Last year, we had the opportunity to distribute some shoes to their 4th grade track team. They had been running and
training barefoot. After receiving 20 pairs of shoes in December, they performed even better than before. So well, in fact, that four of their runners qualified for the Central American and Caribbean Games this June. The only thing that stood in the way was the $3,600 needed for transportation, lodging, visas and race fees.
That was the first “ripple effect.” Young kids at a very rural school in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere have the chance to see the world at the CAC Games – where Usain Bolt was discovered – in part because of their new running shoes. What if one of the L’Ecole de Choix runners obtains greatness there as well? And as many of you reading this know from personal experience, traveling is one of the most eye-opening experiences. In addition to the competition experience, they will meet people and be exposed to ideas that they will bring back to Mirebalais, Haiti, spreading the ripples even further.
Tiffany Johnson, our outreach coordinator, organized the shoe distribution from our side last December. She really connected with the school and these kids and stayed close to them since then. When she heard about their accomplishments and the seemingly insurmountable hurdle that $3600 represents to people in a country where half live on less than $1 a day, she leapt into action. She didn’t do this as a Soles4Souls representative, but as a runner and a human. She started another ripple. She embarked on a challenge to raise the funds on her. She did this by running the Country Music Half Marathon with an adoptive athlete from Achilles (another series source of ripples!) Our nonprofit contributed enough to send one person to the games, but Tiffany needed so much more. She wrote this story about the little Haitian runners and asked friends, family and previous Soles4Souls and Travel4Souls supporters to help. She said, “Help me help them run.”
I am excited and humbled to announce that Tiffany raised a grand total of $4,100 and successfully ran the half marathon this past weekend! Despite the rain downpours and overcast skies, Tiffany ran 13.1 miles for the children of L’eCole de Choix. She ran to give them hope and opportunities and to thank the individuals who selflessly donated to her campaign.
From this one request for 20 pairs of shoes, came ripples that will affect hundreds of people. By the time the CAC Games are over, it will likely be thousands. This was done without celebrities, TV campaigns or viral YouTube videos. It was accomplished by people with big hearts who believe they can make a difference. This is the challenge for each of us, every day. I saw a great quote today from Buddha that came with the twitter hashtag #wakeupcall, “The trouble is, you think you have time.” However the truth is, we don’t know how much time we have. If you can contribute financially to an organization, do that. If you can run a marathon to raise funds and awareness, do that. If you can run with an Achilles athlete, do that. But please, please don’t let another day go by without creating your own ripples. You never know where they will go. Tiffany and the L’Ecole de Choix students made a “thank you” video to show their appreciation. Ripples don’t go unnoticed. Watch it here: