International (MNN) — It's rare that families have the chance to get together to eat dinner these days, much less to learn about and support a cause. This May, Bright Hope International has just the opportunity for families who seek to spend time together and to be Christ's hands and, especially…feet.
May 15, 2010 marks Bright Hope's seventh annual Run for Hungry Children. The event constitutes a 5k run, a 3k walk, and special 50 yard and 100 yard dashes for young children.
The purpose of the run is to raise awareness about the serious issue of hunger across the globe and to raise funds to help defeat it. Each participant raises support for the event through networking to family and friends. A portion of the proceeds go to Bright Hope, and the other portion goes to local ministries of the host site's choosing.
"For the portion that Bright Hope gets to keep, it's actually providing food on the ground, education, church programs for children in slum areas," explains Bright Hope President Craig Dyer. "We aim at people that are living in communities where they earn less than a dollar a day, so these children are some of the neediest in the world."
In the past, the Run has raised over $350,000 to ease the clutches of hunger for starving children and has been held mainly throughout Illinois. This year, two new host site locations have been added, branching out even internationally.
"This year, we've got five locations: three in Illinois [Hoffman Estates, West Chicago and Woodstock], one in [San Antonio] Texas, and a new international one in Quito, Ecuador," says Dyer.
Your sponsorship and participation will help to feed children in countries like Haiti, Chile, India, the Philippines, Zambia and Kenya, but it will also provide them with a clear picture of who Christ is. Bright Hope does all of its work through local churches in these developing countries to ensure that the Gospel message is at the forefront of all of their ministry.
Dyer says Bright Hope would love to have more host sites as well as more business sponsors. For more information on hosting, sponsoring, participating in or donating to a Run, visit runforhungrychildren.org. Consider gathering your family to run and walk this May.
"We're constantly looking to expand this across the country and across the globe and feel like we can help thousands of children in many, many locations through these great partnerships."
