Colorful 5K race fundraiser focuses on urgent need of Haitian village

  • By Kyle Valentini
  • September 10, 2012
  • 373
                        
Summary: Your participation in a 5K race can benefit the people of Haiti as they seek to purchase a new truck for their village. In an effort to raise money for the village of Peredo in southern Haiti, one of the world’s poorest nations, Tap-Tap Kouri is a 5K fundraiser that is unique to the region. With an unusual name and a tremendous amount of faith, Trevor and Shanna Littleton of Millersburg on behalf of Haitian Christian Outreach have coordinated the race with a purpose in mind: the purchase of a new vehicle for their Haitian friends. In Haiti residents rely on the tap-tap, a truck or van used as an independently operated taxi. For many villages it is the one and only way to bring people and goods into and out of the village. The tap-tap in Peredo is a 12 year old flat-bed diesel and is literally falling apart according to Shannon Littleton. “The truck or tap-tap as they call it in Haiti is the only way the village can bring in medical supplies, equipment, food and people,” said Shannon Littleton. “It is tied to everything and is a vital part of the community.” Kouri is a Haitian Creole word that means to run and thus the name Tap-tap Kouri for the inaugural 5K race fundraiser that gets underway Saturday, Oct. 20 at 9 a.m. at the Holmes County Trail Depot at Millersburg. The fundraiser includes a 5K race, a children’s fun run and will celebrate the Haitian culture with music and food. On race day participants and observers will have the opportunity to win a dinner with Hermaine Pierre, Miss Haiti International 2012 at the Hotel Millersburg on Sunday, Oct. 2. Born in Port-au-Prince, Pierre now lives in Arkansas and works as an engineer. She is involved with countless philanthropic endeavors, many of them for the benefit of her home country of Haiti. Participants are encouraged to dress colorfully and a prize will be awarded to the most creative and colorful running outfit. “We wanted the race to be a little different,” said Littleton. “We wanted it to be a colorful event that would be fun for the racers and the people that simply come to watch. The needs of the Haitian people are endless so we thought it would be good to concentrate on one urgent need. The village needs this truck.” Having visited Peredo last May, Littleton saw firsthand the importance the truck served in the village. “Haiti is very different from the world we know here,” said Littleton. “There are things I saw in Haiti I will never recover from. It changes a person. Every little thing you do is met with gratitude and appreciation from the people there.” She recalled arriving in Peredo. “When we arrived to Peredo late evening all we could see driving on this tiny gravel road was this beaming light from the recently completed medical clinic. It's was a sight that literally took your breath away,” said Littleton. Those that want to help but do not want to participate in the race can provide a cash donation or much-needed supplies that include toothbrushes, first aid ointment, medical tape, antiseptic towelettes, medical gloves, bandages and over-the counter pain relievers for use in the Peredo Medical Clinic and crayons, pencils, chalk, pens, erasers, notebooks and markers for use in the school. Haitian Christian Outreach wants to evangelize, equip, empower and encourage the people of Haiti. It is a ministry built on relationships that includes the local churches they plant in Haiti, their leadership, short-term missionaries, partner churches and individuals who provide financial support and other resources. Participants can register for the race online by visiting the event web page at www.5ktaptap.com/. A discounted fee applies to participants that register before Oct.1. Participants can register after Oct. 1 up until race day. For more information contact Shanna Littleton by phone at 330-231-4025 or by email at taptapkouri@yahoo.com.


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